FOUA. 443 
Osmaniis at the gates of Cairo, as he was riding out, without his 
having ever spoken to them, merely to shew their skill. He com- 
plained of the total ruin that was falling on the country, and asked 
me why the English did not come and liberate it? A question 
I could not answer. He would not give us camels on to Foua, 
but changed our asses, which were bad. One of our camels, after 
being loaded, was seized with the cramp, and could not move. We 
again applied to the Schech el Belled, who still objected ; we there- 
fore gave orders to take one that was employed in the harvest. We 
marched three hours to a village, w here we waited for the baggage, 
which came up in an hour and a half. We breakfasted on milk and 
some bad bread, which were brought us by the Schech, who was a 
Sheriffe, At one we were again on our way, as the heat of the sun 
was tempered by a fine breeze. We rested for an hour under the 
shade of a tree, to give our asses some clover and water, and 
reached Foua in the evening, after having marched seven hours 
in the heat of the day. The country was similar to that we had 
passed yesterday, but more rice was grown, in consequence of the 
vicinity of the Nile. We encamped on the banks, under the shade 
of a sycamore. I sent to the Commandant to notify my arrival, who 
immediately called on me. He was also Schech el Belled, the pro- 
prietor of several villages near, and an old friend of Vincenzo's. He 
offered every assistance in procuring a jerm for our baggage, and his 
own canja for ourselves, which were accepted. 
May !7. — We went at eight to the Hummaum, which was the 
worst we had met with, and then waited on the Commandant, who 
took us to his garden, on an island which is well planted, but from 
which, he said, the soldiers had taken every thing. He had no 
