Part 1. Travels into the hEv ant. 247 
Dead to Caire, by feme Janiz^aries, who (hot it on Land, where it was come 
to feed ; they fired feveral fliot at it, before it fell, for the Bullets hardly- 
pierced through its Skin, as I obferved, but they fired one fhot which hit it 
on the Jaw, and made it fall. For many years before, fuch an Animal had 
not been feen at Caire. 
But to return to the Nile, this River caufes all the fruitfulnefs of <t^gyft, 
and if it failed to overflow one year, there would be a Famine in the Land ^ 
nay if it did not rife fixteenfoot, there would be great Scarcity ; as alfo if it 
grew four and twenty foot, it would likewife occalion a Dearth; becaufe the 
water covering all the Land too long, Seed-time would be loft, when it ebbs 
off; it leaves a fat nitrous flime upon the ground, which fo fattens the Land, 
that it would produce nothing, through too much Fatnefs, if they did not 
fow Sand upon it, before they plant or fow any thing therein ; fo that they 
are at the fame pains to put Sand on their Land to unfatten it, as we are 
to Dung ours. Not that it never rains there, as many Dreamers would have 
us believe in Chriftendom, fqueezing their Brains to give a reafon for that 
which is not in Nature,for it rains much at Alexandria^-ànà. RoJfettoa.Ko ; but at 
Caire, which ftands higher, it rains lefs ; and yet I have feen it rain very 
bard every year for two days together in the Month of December, and at 
the fame time, it Thundered fo much, that the eleventh or twelfth night 
of the faid month, a man in the Caftle was killed by Thunder, (though it 
had never been heard before that Thunder had killed any body at Caire. It 
is cold weather alfo in December, which I found by experience, but it is 
never fo cold that one ftands in need of a Fire. In the other Seafons it is 
extream hot, but efpecially in Summer. From January till March, they catch 
Snipes in ^gy^t, in May, yellow Birds or Nitrials, which are nothing but a Fowling in 
lump of Fat, and wild-Turtles, which are very good, but for the houfe- 
Pigeons they are good for nothing : In September alfo yellow Birds and Turtles, 
which come again, and at the fame time Larks, that laft till the years end. 
This Countrey indeed, is not only moft fertile, but alfo very pleafant ; and it ' 
is not without reafon that I faid elfewhere that ^gyft is an Earthly Para- 
dife, inhabited by E)evils : but certainly, the oppreffion the people lye under 
from their Governours, abates much of their Pleafure, as I fhall fay here- 
after. 
This Countrey produces a great deal of Corn, and Herbs of all forts, but 
no Fruits nor Wine, for it yields but very few Grapes, which are of thofe - 
great red Grapes, that have a very thick Skin, and little Juice in them. 
Many fair Trees grow there, which we have not in this Countrey, and Trees of 
efpecially Palra-Trees, and the Sycamores or Fig- Trees oï Pharaoh, which 
differ from thofe Trees we call Sycamores, for thole of ty^^^ypt are the true 
Sycamores ; they bear Figgs that ftick to the ftock, which are not good, 
and yet the Moors for all that eat them ; there are alfo Calffa-Trees 
there, which are very lovely ; they bear always both Bloffoms and Fruit, 
the Bloffoms of them being yellow> and having a very pleafant Scent, 
which may be fmell'd at a great diftance. 
I wave many other plants, as the Cobcajfe and Papyrus, &c. which are 
defcribed in Profper Alpinns. 
CHAP. 
