480 
DEPARTURE FROM ALEXANDRIA 
I was unwell, and therefore staid on board ; but the rest of 
the party set off, after breakfast, for another village at the distance 
of four miles. On their return they reported that they had found 
the natives extremely civil, but averse from their seeing or speak- 
ing to their women ; that their dress was Grecian and picturesque, 
their houses small and wretched : that the head man received them 
into his house, which consisted of one room only, and procured for 
them fowls, at twenty five paras each, goats at four or five dollars, 
and a buffalo and calf for ten dollars : honey, butter, eggs, clouted 
cream, apples, and apricots, were in abundance and reasonable ; that 
the harvest was not got in, and that no grain was to be procured. 
The jerboa which I had purchased with her young ones, a few days 
before I left Alexandria, escaped in the night soon afterwards, but 
I preserved two of the little ones till yesterday, by feeding them 
with milk ; it is singular that, although at least twenty-four days old, 
their eyes had not then opened. 
June 2,5. — Early in the morning a man came on board, who in- 
formed us that he belonged to a town, within sight to the eastward, 
whence grain and every article we wanted could be procured. Mr. 
Salt and the whole party determined to go with him there, and ac- 
cordingly set off, but found the distance so great that they aban- 
doned the journey, and reached the vessel about midnight. They 
met several parties of armed men, but received no molestation. 
I landed myself towards evening, and visited the ruins of a 
Turkish fort that extend for a considerable distance, on a hill which 
forms the western side of the bay. Above it, I discovered the 
remains of a small temple, about twenty feet square, built of 
stones very neatly worked , but without any ornament that I could 
