EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 423 
I met with a Mohammedan, a native of Balk^ who under- 
ftood the firft fix books of EucHd. A young Englifhman, who 
has embraced Iflamifm, and is lately eftablifhed at Conftan- 
tinople, had tranflated Euclid into Turkifh, and publifhed an 
aftronomical ephemeris. Having received fome encourage- 
ment, he was proceeding to read lectures on mathematical 
fubje£ls. Many fcribes are found here who write elegantly and 
corredly. 
The national tafte does not feem rapidly to improve. One 
of the Sultanas, fifters of the monarch, has not long fmce built 
a villa on the Bofphorus, half in the European ftyle, half in the 
Chinefe. 
There is a confiderable market for books, containing many 
fliops, well fupplied. 
Strata of coals are found at about four hours diftance on the 
European fide. An officer in the fervice of the Porte informed 
me that he had at firft obtained the exclulive right of working 
them. He fent them to the Crimea. Since that time better 
coals having been found in that country, and the right of 
working them having been foon afterwards taken from him, the 
mine was negleded, and then difcontinued. It was difficult to 
work on account of the fandy foil which fell in. He faid he 
could fell them at Gonftantinople for a para the oke. 
Went to a Greek printing-houfe conducted by an Armenian. 
They were printing a fmall exhortation in the Greek language, 
written 
