EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 257 
The afs here is of the fame appearance, and the fame Indo- 
cile nature, with that of Great-Britain. The only good Ones 
^ire what the Jelabs bring with them from Egypt : yet the ani- 
mal is much ufed for riding ; indeed few perfons mount an 
horfe but the military, and thofe who are in immediate attend- 
ance at court. An Egyptian afs fetches from the value of one 
to that of three flaves, according to the weight he is able to 
bear. A flave will purchafe three or four of the ordinary 
breed ; yet they are not anxious to improve them. Perhaps 
the animal degenerates : but it is certain that his external ap- 
pearance undergoes a great change. 
The bull is fometimes caftrated. Yet of the animals flaugh- 
tered in the market I have generally obferved that the emafcu- 
iated are feweft in number ; nor is any preference given to the 
one over the other for food. Indeed, the character of animals 
in the entire ftate appears materially to differ from what is re- 
marked of the fame animals with us. The horned cattle, fed 
by the tribes in the vicinity of the rivers, amounts to a very 
confiderable number, and the tribute paid out of them to the 
monarch forms a valuable part of his revenue. Thence they 
are brought to the feveral towns for 'flaughter. The beef is 
good : the Egyptians diflike it, but with the natives it is a con- 
ftant article of food. Cows are alfo in abundance, but their 
milk is not very palatable : fome of the fettlers make it into a 
kind of cheefe, but the inhabitants are not generally acquainted 
with that procefs ; they have, however, a mode of giving it 
an acefcent tafte, and in that ftate it may be kept a few days, 
and is neither difagreeable nor infalubrious. 
LL The 
