154 tRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
which is obvioufly a place of greater fecurity, and more prompt 
efcape, if they have any fhipping in the port. The mer- 
chants muft indeed divide their profits with their agents in Ka- 
hira, but in all other refpedls have ameliorated their condition. 
At this time there remain only three French commercial 
houfes in Kahira, and a phyfician. The remainder of the 
nation is at Alexandria, to the amount perhaps of ten or twelve 
families. 
Nov. 1 796. A change has lately taken place in the cuftom- 
houfe here, and at Alexandria and Damiatt, with which the 
Chriftians are much difpleafed. The duties for many years 
had been farmed to Jews, whofe gains and fufferings were 
both in the extreme. During the laft twenty years they have 
been in the hands of Damafcene or other Syrian Chriftians, 
whofe numbers and wealth have in that period increafed. 
Their mutual jealoufies and inceflant quarrels were of great 
benefit to the ruling Beys, who took care to fleece each 
party alternately, and teach them a wifdom by dear-bought 
experience, which, however, they were not always able to 
learn. 
Their moft folemn affeverations would have led any perfon 
uninformed on the fubje£t to imagine, that their whole nation 
was continually a lofer by its bargain with the Beys. But their 
gains were in reality fo vaft, that certain fecrets, developed by 
their infidelity to each other, led Murad Bey, in whofe jurif- 
diQion the cuftoms were, to imagine that the having the col- 
ledion 
