Part I. 
Travels into the Lev ant. 
CHAP. LXIV. 
Our Departure from Damiette^ and Arri- 
val at Caire. 
TVefday the fourth of Jme, we Embarked in a little Bark that we had Departure 
hired for our felves, but the Wind not being good, we made but little from Dm 
way, till Thurfday the fixth of Jme, when a fair Wind prefenting, we paft ^"^ ^"'^ 
by ManfoHra on the left hand. This is a pretty neat long Town, but we ftopt Md»fmra. 
not at it. Friday the feventh of Jme, we palTed by Sammennd, on our right Smmenud. 
hand, which appears to be a Handfome Town , but it is ancient and rui- 
nous. Saturday the eighth of Jme, we left Metegamr to the left hand, a pretty ■^'^'^^^''▼^ 
neat Town, half way betwixt Damiette and Caire. Monday the tenth of Jme, 
in the Morning, we paffed by that place, where the River divides it felf into 
two Channels, one whereof ^ots, to Damiette, and the other to Rojfetto, and at 
length, about eleven a Clock in the Forenoon, we arrived at Boulac, where 
we paid a Piaftre a piece, and from thence we took Afles and rode to Caire, 
where the Merchants wondered to fee us in fo bad plight ; for I had not fo 
much as a pair of Pdomhes, having loiT; them on board the Corfairs,and all the 
Cloathes I had were a W^aft-coat, a pair of Drawers, and my Capot. How- 
ever they had been informed that we had been twice taken by Corlairs, for it 
was known all along the Coaft. And they thought we had been carried to 
Malta, and fo many times I thought we ftiould ; for the Corfairs told us, that 
if they could but take a Prize that might be worth the pains, fuch as a good 
Sayqm loaded with Rice, they would Itand away for Malta. 
TH E publication of the wonderful growth of the Nile, begins to be The growth 
made on St. Peter and St. Pad's day, or the day before, that is to fay, ^"^^ 
the eight and twentieth, or nine and twentieth day of June, and though that 
River begin almoft always to encreafe from the fixteenth or twentieth day of 
May, yet they publilh it not before one of the days aforementioned, when it is 
already pretty well encreafed -, that is to fay, betwixt fix and a half, and eight 
Tics. The Pic is a Meafure of twenty four fingers breadth. The Year before, 
the day when they begin to cry the growth of the Nile, it had encreafed feven 
Pzc-j and a half, according to what the Criers faid j who neverthelefs, though 
the Nile encreafes feven, eight, or ten fingers a day, yet they never cry com- 
monly more than two, three, or four, according as they agree about it among 
themfelves, and keep the overplus till towards the end, when the Bank is near 
to be cut : They then add every day part of that which they have referved to 
the real growth of that day they cry it on; and though it have not encreafed 
above five" or fix fingers breadth, they'll cry that it is rifen 23 or 24 fingers, 
to the end they may make the People joyful with the hopes of a good Year, 
and gain the more to themfelves ; fo that at the end, their account is always 
jolt. They have another reafon alfo why they referve fome fingers till the 
CHAP. LXV. 
end 
