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spondence is carried on in the most ridiculous and 
strange manner* The owners of little vessels, which 
arrive frequently from Smyrna, Constantinople, and 
other places, take charge of the letters for Alexandria 
voluntarily, or upon private speculation. Upon their 
arrival they run through the streets from house to house, 
with their letters tied up in a handkerchief, or a little 
bag, which they carry in their hand. It often happens 
that on undoing the parcels, some of the letters fall in 
the streets, and are lost. Every person who expects 
letters, and many who do not, stop the bearer in his 
course, and ask him to let them examine the bag; as 
the latter seldom knows how to read any written lan- 
guage, he permits them to be tossed about; and by 
these means, unknown persons, can get into their pos- 
session the correspondence of the city, by pretending to 
look for letters, which they say are addressed to them; 
they make a selection of all those which suit them, take 
possession of them by paying the bearer a trifling grati- 
fication, and return quietly home to violate the secrets 
of private individuals, or perhaps the public faith. I 
trembled to see the honour and fortune of individuals, 
as also the political interests of different nations who 
have consuls at Alexandra, exposed in this manner. 
I suggested the idea of a public establishment for the 
correspondence, but the private disputes of the Euro- 
peans will always raise an obstacle to it. 
Although the climate of Alexandria is hot, it is not 
so much so as its geographical situation appears to in- 
dicate. It is true the sun burns in summer, but the 
north-west or sea winds, which blow continually, main- 
tain a temperate atmosphere in the shade, in which the 
