4^2, 
MATARIEH 
so that it would be impossible to reach Menzale ; we therefore de- 
termined to proceed directly to the island of Schech Abdallah, on 
which are situated the ruins of the town of Thouna. We arrived 
there by five, but found not a vestige of a building. The whole of 
the island is covered with bricks almost reduced to powder, mixed 
with small bits of glass and mica. There could never have been any 
building of great importance here, or very great pains must have 
been taken to destroy it. I should rather suspect, from its situation 
in the middle of a lake abounding with several kinds of very 
good fish, that it was an extensive fishing- town. We encamped for 
the night close to the Schech's tomb, having sent off to Menzale to 
announce our arrival, and beg to see the Schech. 
May 3. — We had determined originally to visit the ruins of the 
island of Tennis, but having learnt that there were no remains of 
antiquity except heaps of powdered bricks, as at Thouna, and 
knowing from Sebastiani's account that the French had searched 
there, as they had done here, without success, we altered our inten- 
tion, and ordered the baggage on board to proceed to Matarieh. In 
the Schech's tomb the French have carved several names, , among 
which we observed that of Nouet. 
We reached Matarieh by ten, and were received by the Schech 
of the Lake and of Menzale, the son of Hassan Toubar, by name 
Ali. The father died in the time of the French, who, at the re- 
quest of Ali, appointed his uncle Chelabi, Schech. They may be 
considered as equally Scheclis at this moment, and are both here. 
This Hassan Toubar was, according to General Andreossi, whose 
account is confirmed by Messrs. Airuts, one of the most powerful 
individuals in the country, having a vast profit from the trade of 
