162 EGYPT. 



jugglers and fortune-tellers already mentioned. One of their favourite 

 exhibitions is their dancing-camels, which, when young, they place 

 upon a large heated floor ; the intense heat makes the poor creatures 

 caper, and being plied all the time with the sound of drums, the noise 

 of that instrument sets their, a dancing whenever they hear it. 



The. other towns of note in Egypt are, Damietta, supposed to be the 

 ancient Pelusium ; Seyd, on the west bank of the Nile, 200 miles 

 south of Cairo, said to be the ancient Egyptian Thebes ; by the few 

 who have visited it, it is reported to be the most capital antique curi- 

 osity that is now extant ; and Cossire, on the west coast of the Red 

 Sea. The general practice of strangers who visit those places, is to 

 hire a janissary, whose authority commonly protects them from the 

 insults of the other natives. Suez, formerly a place of great trade, is 

 now a small town, and gives name to the isthmus that joins Africa 

 with Asia. 



Manufactures and commerce. ...The Egyptians export great 

 quantities of manufactured as well as prepared flax, thread, cotton, 

 and leather of all sorts, calicoes, yellow wax, sal ammoniac, saffron, 

 sugar, sena, and cassia. They trade with the Arabs for coffee, drugs, 

 spices, calicoes, and other merchandises, which are landed at Suez, 

 from whence they send them to Europe. Several European states 

 hav» consuls resident in Egypt, but the customs of the Turkish go- 

 vernment are managed by Jews. A number of English vessels arrive 

 yearly at Alexandria ; some of which are laden on account of the 

 owners, but most of them are hired and employed as carriers to the 

 Jews, Armenians, and Mahommedan traders. 



Constitution and government... .The government of Egypt, be- 

 fore the late invasion by the French, was both monarchical and repub- 

 lican. The monarchical was executed by the pasha, and the republican 

 by the Mamalukes or ' sangiacs. The pasha was appointed by the 

 grand-seignor, as his viceroy. The republican, or rather the aristo- 

 cratical part of the government of Egypt, consisted of a divan com- 

 posed of twenty-four sangiacs, beys, or lords. The head of them was 

 called the sheilk-bellet, who was chosen by the divan, and confirmed 

 by the pasha. Every one of these sangiacs was arbitrary in his own 

 territory, and exercised sovereign power : the major part of them re- 

 sided at Cairo. If the grand-seignor's pasha acted in opposition to 

 the sense of the divan, or attempted to violate their privileges, they 

 would not suffer him to continue in his post : and they had an authentic 

 grant of privileges, dated in the year 1517, in which year sultan Selim 

 conquered Egypt from the Mamalukes. At -present, though the 

 French have been driven out of Effypt by the British arms, and the 

 country restored to the Turks, it is in a state of the greatest confusion, 

 and can scarcely be said to have any settled form of government. 



Revenues. ...These are very inconsiderable, when compared to the 

 natural riches of the country, and the despotism of the government. 

 Some say that they amount to a million sterling, but that two-thirds 

 of the whole is spent in the country. 



Military force. ...This consists in the Mamalukes, some bodies 

 of whom are cantoned in the villages to exact tribute, and support au- 

 thority. The greater part are assembled at Cairo. They amount to 

 about 8000 men, attached to the different beys, whom they enable to 

 contend with each other, and to set the Turks at defiance. 



Religion. ...To what has been already said concerning the religion 

 of Egypt, it is proper to add, that the bulk of the Mahommedans are 



