138 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
artifts ; one was Luigi Balugani, a Bolognefe, the other Z.ucci» 
a Florentine. 
On landing with my Greek fervant at Kourna^ no male inha- 
bitants appeared, but two or three women were ftanding at the 
entrance of one of their dens. As we pafled in queft of the 
Shech-el-belad, to requeft a guide, one of the women faid in 
Arabic, " Are not you afraid of crocodiles ?" I replied in the 
negative. She faid emphatically, " We are crocodiles ;" and 
proceeded to depid; her own people as thieves and murderers. 
They are indeed a ferocious clan, differing in perfon from other 
Egyptians. Spears twelve or fourteen feet in length are fudden 
and deadly weapons in their hands. At Kahira,, Mohammed 
Bey Elfi had told me I fliould here need a guard of twenty 
men, but I found two guides affigned me by the Shech-el-belad 
fufficient. 
In the temple at Medifiet Abu we obferved a large quantity of 
blood, and were told by the peafants of Beirat that the Kour- 
nefe had there murdered a Muggrebin and a Greek, travellers 
paffmg from Affuan to Kahira, who had ftrayed thither from 
mere curiofity, or perhaps with a view of finding treafure, in 
which the Muggrebins pretend to fuperior fkill. 
At the village called Beirat is a native fpring; and fome others, 
I was told, are found in the neighbourhood, the water of which 
is different from that of the Nile, yet fweet. 
Walled 
