225 
Aiberca is a real Oasis in the middle of a desert of com- 
pletely arid sand, and is three hours march distant from 
Cairo. I here witnessed a very great instance of the 
apathy of the Turks: the caravan was encamped upon 
the borders of this delightful garden, after a journey 
which must necessarily occasion an ardent desire for an 
enjoyment of this kind; yet, not one of the whole party ? 
except myself, left his tent to avail himself of it. 
The thermometer at half past five in the evening, 
stood at 42° of Reaumur, at seven at 37* 3'.* 
My people amused themselves after sun-set by firing 
i off their guns. 
Sunday, 14th June. 
We began our march at sun-rise. I was soon ac- 
costed on the road by different friends who had come 
out to meet me. Having proceeded about a third of the 
way, I perceived Seid Omar, JYeaili elAscharaf, or the 
Chief of the Scherifs, the first personage in Cairo, ac- 
companied by several great men and doctors of the city, 
with a suite of twenty Mamelukes on horseback, as 
many Arnaut soldiers on foot, besides servants, and 
armed Arabs. We embraced each other with the most 
tender affection, and he presented me with a superb 
horse richly caparisoned. We reposed ourselves under 
the shade of a spreading tree, and after having taken 
coffee, they took me to visit a hermitage, situated very 
near the spot; after which we mounted, and pursued 
the road to Cairo, accompanied by Mulei Selema, the 
brother of the Emperor of Morocco, who had also come 
out to meet me. In the course of our journey, the 
Mamelukes and the Arabs on horseback, ran races and 
Vol. IL 
* 1151° Fahrenheit. 
4 
2 F 
