ALEXANDRIA. 405 
Greek and Turkish love songs. The whole passed off with great 
good humour, and it was a late hour before we took our leave. 
April 13. — Our friend the Surbaje considered it as a compliment 
that we should dine wath him, we therefore did so. His house was 
plain and neat, and his table well served, but not so splendidly as the 
Governor's. He informed me that he had no family, and only one 
wife, which he said was the custom of his family. Emim Aga and 
Dervish Effendi w^ere of the party. Mr. Briggs gave a ball this day 
to the European inhabitants of respectability, at wdiich several very 
pretty Italian girls were present : twelve couple danced English 
and Piedmontese dances, to a band composed of several violins, 
played on by gentlemen, and a large English harpsichord brought 
out by Elfi Bey, and which had been purchased, from his plun- 
derers, for two hundred piastres. 
April 19. — No vessel had arrived in which it was possible for us 
to sail, nor could we hear of any that was expected. Major Missett 
therefore had the goodness to write to Sir Alexander Ball, at Malta, 
representing my situation, and the ineligibility of my running the 
risk of falling into the hands of the French, with all my papers, 
and suggesting that an armed vessel should be sent for me. As 
however it would be full six weeks before we could receive an 
answer, I determined to visit Damietta, and the lakes that separate 
the Delta from the sea shore, Mr. Briggs, Captain Vincenzo Taberna, 
and his brother, accompanied us. In the morning Isent ofFour baggage 
and servants, by a jerm to Rosetta, where we were to make our ar- 
rangements for the journey, by the advice and with the assistance 
of Messrs. Rosetti andPetrucci, who were in the mean time to engage 
our Arab attendants. The Major gave a party at the gardens to 
