361 
They were all cut down in the late wars, to make room 
for the Europeans to build a lazaretto. 
Alexandria is a place of regular defence, and has 
some forts built by the French, some fronts of the 
walls renewed with ditches, some trenches and empale- 
ments that would sustain a strong siege However, 
similar works would be considered only as trifling for- 
tifications by the European troops. Almost all the 
forts and redoubts are in decay, owing to the careless- 
ness of the engineers, who do not keep them in repair; 
so that in a short time, all will crumble away, and be 
destroyed. It is on this account that this place would 
not be able to hold out many days against European 
troops, even if the inhabitants made extraordinary ef- 
forts; but it may be considered as a strong situation 
against the Turks, Arabs, and Mamelukes, who are 
very ignorant of military science. In short, as Alexan- 
dria is almost insulated on account of the lakes Mareo- 
tis and Mahadie, its defence against the natives of 
Egypt rests upon its keeping possession of the two 
narrow passages, by which they could approach from 
the continent, and it would be very easy to insulate it 
completely; but the latter measure would increase the 
difficulty of provisioning the city, and would cut it off 
from the only drinkable water which it is able to obtain. 
There are some small gardens in the body of the 
space occupied by the ancient Alexandria, extremely 
unproductive except in palm trees, to the growth of 
which the ground appears to be well suited. Vegeta- 
tion otherwise only presents tail and thin plants, the in- 
habitants being unable to water them with any other 
vol. i* z z 
