140 
DESCRIPTIONS OF EGYPT. 
mietta to Pelusium, lies extremely low, remains 
uncultivated, and, like the shores of the lake, is 
in some places covered with marine plants, 
Menzala, from which the lake derives its name, 
is a small ruinous town, situated on a promontory 
which projects into the lake from the Delta, be- 
tween the two semicircular gulfs which it forms 
towards the land. At the extremity of this pro- 
montory lie the populous islands of Matharia, in- 
habited by a ferocious race of fishermen, who form 
a separate class, and have little intercourse with 
the other Egyptians, whom they prohibit from 
fishing in the lake. The ruins of San, or Tanis, 
are situated upon the canal of Moez, about two 
leagues before it falls into the lake. The terri- 
tory adjacent to Menzala is fertile and populous 
on the side of Damietta, but towards Pelusium 
becomes gradually sterile, till it runs into a bar- 
ren desert. The Pelusiac outlet of the Nile lies 
about twenty-three G. miles to the east of the 
Tanitic opening. The ancient city of Pelusium 
was situated in a marshy district, which, at an 
early period, was notorious for being the haunt of 
robbers. As it commanded the entrance of 
Egypt on the Syrian side, it was strongly forti- 
fied by the native Egyptian kings ; and, at the 
time when Egypt was conquered by Cambyses, a 
strong rampart extended between this city and 
Heliopolis over a space of nearly ninety miles, 
