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about three leagues, surrounded by broad and high 
walls, with towers almost in ruins, filled with the wrecks 
of houses, is what remains of the middle age, or of the 
second period of this city, when it passed under the do- 
minion of mahometanism. A city containing near 
five thousand inhabitants, of all colours, of all nations, 
and of all sects, established upon a little tongue of land 
running out into the sea, which has no other means of 
subsistence than the feeble resources of a languishing 
commerce; and, to increase its misfortune, lost this year, 
1807, the only drinkable water it had; such is the state 
of the modern Alexandria. 
Notwithstanding these disadvantages, I cannot paint 
the picture of this city under such black colours, and 
in such an unfavourable light, as some travellers have 
done. They suppose its streets narrow and inconveni- 
ent; its houses dark, and of a disagreeable aspect, for 
want of windows; its markets badly arranged; its inha- 
bitants noisy, rude, and insolent, &x. No, I cannot 
confirm these assertions; on the contrary, the streets 
are regular enough; and although there are some nar- 
row ones, as well as in the finest cities of Europe, there 
are others much wider, some of which have a pavement 
on the sides for passengers. The Franks' street would 
not be deemed a secondary street in any city; and this 
is not the only good one in Alexandria. The ground, 
though unpaved, is nevertheless very convenient for the 
foot passengers; for it is composed of lime and sand, 
of a good consistence; so that it may be compared to 
that of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is said the houses 
are without windows: this is a great mistake; for, with 
the exception of the most miserable habitations, which 
