EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 71 
many come hither on bufmefs, and return to Conftantinople. 
Jews were once numerous, but are now on the decreafe. Exclu- 
fively of negro flaves in every houfe, there are blacks from Nubia, 
who ad as porters at the gates of the rich, and fometimes fell 
bou%ci and eatables. 
In general, the total population of Kahira cannot certainly be 
eftimated at lefs than three hundred thoufand fouls. Egypt 
may contain, in all, two millions and a half. 
In fpeaking of the population of Egypt, and other countries 
under the fame circumftances, it may be remarked, that among 
ourfelves, to obtain a tolerably corredt knowlege of the num- 
ber of people in a town or city, it is fufficient to know the 
number of houfes, and the average number of inhabitants in 
each houfe. In Egypt the cafe is widely different. A large 
proportion of the people has no vifible dwelling. The flighteft 
fhelter fuffices to protect them from the inconfiderable variations 
of a regular climate, and obfcurity, under the falcon eye of 
power always a bleffing, is here fought with peculiar avi- 
dity. 
Of all thofe defcriptions of men, the Copts, or original inha- 
bitants, mofi: intereft curiofity. There are forae peculiarities of 
feature common to all of them. I was not ftruck with any re- 
femblance of the negro features or form. Their hair and eyes 
are indeed of a dark hue, and the former is often curled ; but 
not in a greater degree than is occafionally feen among Euro- 
peans. The nofe is often aquiline, and though the lips be 
fometimes 
