EGYPT, AND SYRIA. I7 
the route. Our arrival there happened on Friday the 9th, at 
eight in the evening. The fpace of time we were actually 
travelling from the coaft, was fixty two hours and a quarter. 
The road from the fhore inward to Siwa is perfedly barren, 
confifting wholly of rocks and fand, among which talc is found 
in great abundance. On Wednefday the 7th, at night, we had 
reached a fmall village called j/Jus}] ^1 HjUj Karet-am-elSogheir: 
it is a miferable place, the buildings being chiefly of clay ; and 
the people remarkably poor and dirty. It afforded the feafon- 
able relief of frefli water, a fmall quantity of mutton, (for the 
Shech el Bellad was kind enough to kill a fheep, in return for 
fome trifling prefents which were made him,) and wood to 
drefs pilau, from which we had been obliged to abfl:ain fmce 
leaving the coaft. This village is independent, and its environs 
afford nothing but dates, in which even the camels and affes of 
this quarter are accuftomed to find their nourifhment. 
For about a mile and an half from Karet-am-el Sogheir the 
country is fprinkled with date trees, and fome water is found. 
After which it again becomes peifedly defert, confifting of the 
fame mountains of fand and barren rock, as before remarked, 
for the fpace of about five hours travelling. Then we were 
employed for more than eight hours in pafling an extenfive 
plain of barren fand, which was fucceeded by other low hills 
and rocks. I obferved, through a large portion of the road, 
that the furface of the earth is perfectly covered with fait. 
We at length came to Siwa, which anfwers the defcription 
given of the Oafes, as being a fmall fertile fpot, furrounded on 
D all 
