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march towards the N. J N. E. over ground composed 
alternately of loose sand and fine firm sand. 
The country was at first level and even, but we soon 
came to rugged ground intersected by small hills; On 
the left at a great distance, was a line of trees, which 
border the canal of Belbeis, where we arrived at about 
ten in the morning. The caravan encamped near the 
town, and I went and established myself in an hermitage, 
dedicated to a Saint, called Sidi Saadoun. 
It was insupportably hot. The Capidgi Baschi, who 
had been last year the bearer of the firman, by which 
the Sultan of Constantinople confirmed Mehemed Ali 
Pacha in his government of Egypt, was in the caravan. 
I have been assured that the Pacha made him a present 
of 50,000 franks upon this occasion. There were also 
several other Turks of note in our party. 
Belbeis is a tolerably large town, and has several 
mosques. The Nile supplies it with water in great 
abundance by a canal at the time of its increase; this 
Supply maintains the vegetation of a considerable num- 
ber of palm and other trees. There are also good melons 
and water melons, but no pulse. This town, with its ter- 
ritpry , is governed by a Kiaschef or officer of the Pacha 
of Cairo. 
Sunday, 5 th July. 
We continued our march at one in the afternoon, 
across a desert, exposed to the burning rays of the sun 
and a dry wind, in a direction exactly east, over an im- 
mense plain, in which there was not a single living 
being or vegetable to be seen, the soil consisting alter- 
nately of moveable and firm sand. We halted at a quar- 
ter before seven, in the middle of the plain. Just before 
we encamped, my horse fell down as if he was dead, 
