34 • TRAVELS TO DISCOVER:; 



is no better built than any other town or .village that we liadi 

 palEed, yet it interefls by its extent; it is the moil coniiderable; 

 place we had yet feeia fmce our leaving Cairo. It has a cachefF 

 and a mofque, with three large fteeples, and. is a.market-r- 



town. 



The country allaround is well cultivated, and feems to ; 

 be of the utmoft fertility; the inhabitants are better cloathed, 

 and feemingly lefs miferable, and oppreffed, than ihofe we* 

 had left behind in the places nearer Cairo. ... 



The Nile is very fhallow at Beni Suef,' and the current; 

 ftrong. We touched feveral times in the middle of the) 

 itream, and came to an anchor at Baha, about a quarter of: 

 a mile above Beni Suef, where we palled the night. 



We were told to keep good watch here alL. night, that, 

 there were troops of robbers on the earl-fide . of the water, 

 who had lately plundered fome boats, and that the cachefE 

 either dared not, or would not give them any arliftance. We, 

 did indeed keep Uriel: watch, but . faw no robbers, and were:: 

 no other way molefted, . 



The i 8th we had fine weather and a fair wind. Still 

 I thought the villages were beggarly, and the conftant groves, 

 of palm-trees fo perfectly verdant, did not compenfate for 

 the penury of fown land, the narrownefs of the valley, and ! 

 barrennefs of the mountains.. 



We palled Manfura,Gadami, Magaga, Malatiah, and other 

 fmall villages, fome of them not confifting of fifteen houfes*. 

 Then follow Gundiah and Kerm on the weft-fide of the 



river, 



