TO THE BISHOP OF DURHAM. 



183 



between the Turks and French ; the former kept possession of the 

 town of Cairo, the latter of the castle, and perpetual skirmishes were 

 taking place betwixt them. The Mamelukes, enemies to both, were 

 masters of Upper Egypt. The Bedouin Arabs, unopposed by any, 

 and adversaries to all, ravaged the banks of the Nile, and the plague 

 raged throughout the whole country. Thus circumstanced, I was obliged 

 to relinquish all idea of reaching Cairo, and content myself with what 

 I was able to observe of Egyptian manners and antiquities in and 

 around Alexandria. I cannot however, my Lord, regret the period at 

 which I arrived there ; if it hindered me from seeing some objects of 

 antiquity, it showed me the country itself, in a situation as curious 

 perhaps as any one has ever been. 



From Alexandria I sailed to Jaffa, and was fortunate enough to 

 arrive there just before the commencement of the Holy week, and 

 thus had an opportunity of joining an Armenian caravan, and of 

 proceeding to Jerusalem in safety ; a journey which, in the present 

 state of Syria, I could not have ventured to have undertaken at any 

 other time, on account of the number of banditti that infest the 

 roads. I passed ten days at Jerusalem and in its neighbourhood, and I 

 think saw most of the Videnda that were worthy of notice. Amongst 

 other places, I visited the convent of St. Saba, and had an oppor- 

 tunity of completely examining its famous library of MSS. ; except, 

 however, 29 copies of the Gospels and one of the Epistles, there 

 appeared nothing very valuable ; the rest, amounting to about 300 

 volumes, consisted entirely of Fathers, Legends, Homilies, and Rituals. 

 I was permitted to bring away with me to Constantinople six of what 

 I judged the most curious MSS., viz. two of the oldest copies of the 

 Gospels, and the only one of the Epistles and Acts j two collections 

 of Apostolical letters, and a copy of Libanius. 



I confess, my Lord, I was highly gratified with my visit to Palestine. 

 I not only saw what I had much wished to see, but I was enabled to 

 attain most of the objects I had in view when I undertook the journey. 

 I was permitted to examine many libraries ; by the survey I had of 

 the country, &c. I shall be able to understand many parts in the 



