CUSTOMS AND MANNERS. 



395 



worn by the Mahometans, and considered to possess much efficacy*, 

 as were the frontals of the Jews, and phylacteries of the early 

 Christians. An European medical man is much valued by the Arabs 

 in general, and those of our army had plenty of practice among them, 

 and the assistance they gave was afforded gratuitously. In every 

 bazar some shops will be found in which a few of the most com- 

 mon drugs are sold, such as opium, rhubarb, and senna. 



Arabic is generally spoken in Egypt ; the Coptic f is read as a dead 

 language, and is understood by few. The Italian is much used both 

 by Franks and Copts. I saw no printed books in Arabic ; the manu- 

 scripts are many of them beautifully written, and the notes are in red 

 ink, or light blue. Other works are read besides the Koran ; several 

 of these I have seen in the shops of the transcribers. The natives 

 when at school have sentences copied for them from the Koran ; 

 these they learn by heart. There are many scribes, whose employ- 

 ment, like that of the ancient calligraphs, consists of writing out 

 manuscripts for sale ; they also make contracts between individuals, 

 law and justice being dispensed in a very summary manner by the 

 basha in greater cases, and by the different sourbadjees in inferior 

 matters. The sourbadjee is a kind of chief magistrate, like a mayor, 

 of whom there is one in every considerable town in Egypt ; he is 

 always an Egyptian Arab. The office of sourbadjee at Alexan- 

 dria was held by Sheik Gazan, a little energetic man of very good 

 family, and some property, who was a firm and zealous adherent of 

 the English, and who administered the duties of his station with 

 becoming dignity. He was an active magistrate, and by means of 

 an efficient police, kept the town and its various inhabitants in 

 excellent order, he himself generally going the rounds once every 



* The virtue of these scrolls and charms is supposed likewise to be so universal, that 

 they suspend them even upon the necks of their cattle. — Shaw, 243. Phylacteries are still 

 worn by some of the Christians of the East. — Russel, ii. 104. 



f Aujourd'hui la langue Copte n'y est plus entendue par les Coptes memes ; le dernier 

 qui l'entendoit est mort en ce siecle. — Maillet. p. 24*. 



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