EGYPT, AND SYRIA. i6g 
This city is not walled, but is populous, though on the de- 
cline ; it contains feveral mofques and okals. There are few- 
Copts, the inhabitants being chiefly Mohammedans. The houfes 
are partly ftone, partly unburned bricks. It is governed by a 
Cafhef. The fifh from the lake cannot be praifed. Provifions 
tolerably plentiful j water good. 
After pafl[ing three days at Feium, proceeded towards the 
lake, of which I wifhed to make the circuit. This is the Moeris 
of Strabo and Ptolemy ; and the teftimony of the latter, living 
in Egypt, feems unqueftionable. However this be, the lake, 
now called Btrket-el-keriin^ probably from its extremities bear- 
ing fome refemblance to horns, bears no mark of being, as fome 
fuppofe, the product of human art. The fhape, as far as was 
diftinguifhable, feems not inaccurately laid down in D'Anville's 
map, unlefs it be that the end neareft the Nile fhould run more 
in a North-weft and South-eaft diredion. The length may 
probably be between thirty and forty miles ; the breadth, at 
the wideft part I could gain, was 5000 toifes, as taken with a 
fextant, that is, nearly fix miles. The utmoft pofllble extent 
of circuit muft of courfe be thirty leagues. On the North-eaft 
and South is a rocky ridge, in every appearance primeval : there 
are fome ifles in the extremity neareft Feium, where there is a flat 
fandy fhore. In fliort, nothing can prefent an appearance more 
unlike the works of men. Several fifliermen, in miferable boats, 
are conftantly employed on the lake. The water is brackifli, 
like moft bodies of water under the fame circumftances. 
z 
The 
