Part I 
Travels into the h ev ant. 
245 
CHAP.LXXII. 
Of Mgypty the Nile, Crocodiles , and 
Sea-Horfes. 
IW^Gypt called by the Hebrews Mis Raim, and by the j4rabs at prefent 
/j^. Mapr, and in Turkilh Mifr^ is bounded on the Eafl; by the Red Sea, and 
the Defarts of Arabia ; on the South by the Kingdoms of Bngia and Ndia , The borders 
on the Weft by the Defarts of Lybia ; and on the North by the Mediterranean of Mgyp. 
Sea. This Country lies fo low, that the Land cannot be feen till one be juft 
upon it; and therefore thofe that fail to it, ought to be upon their Guard. 
c/^£0/>f has noPortson the Mediteranean fit for Ships, except Alexandria 2^x16. 
the Bonquer, which is rather a Road than a Port : The River of Nile runs The courfe 
through the length of it, and having its Courfe from South to North, dif- of theM/e in 
charges it felf into the Mediterranean by two mouths, upon the fides of which, ^^yP^- 
ftand two fair Towns, to wit, Rojfetto to the Weft, and Damiette to the 
Eaft two miles below which, it mingles its Waters with the Sea-, and by that 
divifion makes a Triangular Ifle in ^pft : This Triangular Ifland was by the 
ancient Greeks called Delta^ becaufe in Figure it refembles the Charader a. "^^^^ ^'^^^ 
One fide of that Triangle is beat by the Mediterranean Sea on the North, and ^^^P^' 
the other two are bounded by the two branches of the Nile, which divide at 
the point of this Triangle j fo that the three points or angles of this Tri- 
angle are, the firft at the place where the Nile divides it felf into two ; the 
fécond at Kofetto, and the third at Damiette : The firft Angle is at an equal 
diftance from the other two, to wit, from Rojfetto and Damiette, and from that 
Angle it is five or fix Leagues to Caire, fo that the Nile has only thofe two 
mouths which are Navigable for great VelFels ; for though there be fome 
others, yet they are no more but Rivulets. This River is broader than the The breadth 
broadeft part of the Seine^ but it is not very Rapid, unlefs it be at its Ca- t'^e Nik. 
tarads, where it falls from fo great a height, that ( as they fay ) the noife 
of it is heard at a very great diftance. When it overflows, it feems to be â 
little Sea. The water of it is very thick and muddy, but they have an Inven- 
tion to clarifie it: For in that Country, they make ufe of great Veflels of An invention 
white Earth, holding about four Buckets full of Watery when they are full of ^^"^ '^^^"f^^''"S 
Water, they rub the infide of the Vefl:els with three or four Almonds at moft, [heS/^ 
until they be difl^olved, and in the fpace of a quarter of an Hour, the Water 
becomes very clear ^ and for that end, moft of thofe who bring Water to 
Houfes, have a Pafte of Almonds, wherewith they rub the Veflels, as I have 
faid. After all, this Water is fo wholefome, that it never does any harm, 
though one drink never fo much of it, becaufe it comes a great way over Land, 
to wit, from Ethiopia. So that in fo long a courfe, and through fo hot a 
Country, the Sun has time to Corredl it, and cleanfe it from all Crudities, 
and indeed, it isfweated out as faft as one drinks it. In ftiort, they have no xhc numbe 
other Water to drink in (^^ypt, and therefore moft of the Cities, Towns, of villages^ 
and Villages are upon the fides of the River, and there are fo many Villages, upon the ' 
that you no fooner leave one, but you find another, and all the Houfes in them ^^"^^s of the 
are built of Earth . This River abounds not much in Fifli, and we had but one 
good Fifli of the Nile at Caire, which they call oriole, and that is rare too ; Vmok. 
but there are a vaft number of Crocodiles in it, which perhaps is the caufe of Crocodiles, 
the fcarcity of the Fifli. Crocodiles are Amphibious Animals, for they live 
both in the Water, and upon Land : They have a Head flat above and below, 
the Eyes indifferently big and very darkifii, which has made many fay, that 
thçy always weep after once they are taken, but it is a fable. They have a 
long (harp Snout, full of long and fhai p Teeth, but no Tongue. The Body 
is large and all of a bignefs, the Back covered with high Scales like the heads 
of the Nails in a Court-Gate, of a greenifti Colour, and fo hard, that they 
are 
