78 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
dudive. Thofe who have eggs to be hatched, bring them to 
the mafter of the oven, and contrad: to pay fo much a hundred j 
and when the chickens appear, he receives his money on deh- 
vering them. Thofe which have not fucceeded, are required 
to be produced. The oven is public property. 
Kahira is the only mint for Egypt, where they ftrike in gold 
mahbubs and half mahbubs ; the firft about five {hillings in 
value. In copper wafhed with filver the fmall coins worth 
about a halfpenny, and called in Turkifh paras^ in Arabic 
diivaji'i^ fuddha^ or maldi : by European writers, ajpers, and 
medines. On one fide is the name of the reigning Sultan, on 
the reverfe, Mi/r, and the date. 
The mint is fixed in the caftle, built by the celebrated Tuf- 
fuf ahu Moddafar Ibn Aiiib, whofe title of honour was Salah- 
eddin, in the fixth century of Mohammedifm. The people of 
the country, who are in the habit of confounding all hiftory 
and chronology, attribute it to Jofeph the fon of Ifaac, whofe 
palace they fay it was ; but it is unnecefTary to confute an opi- 
nion wholly unfupported by fads. Including the quarters of 
the Janizaries and Aflabs (the latter of whom no longer exift), 
the building occupies a large fpace. But it is irregular, and the 
Pafha's apartments are mean and incommodious. The well is 
of great depth, and has been hewn with much labour through 
the folid rock, but as that rock is of a foft nature, the magni- 
tude of the work is not comparable to that of fome excavations 
which have been executed in feveral other places. The broken 
remains of the palace of Salah-eddin, are indeed worthy of 
remark. 
