324 Notices regarding the Vineyards of Egypt 
ed with regard to the use of beer, — that, in fact, he had con- 
cluded from it, that there were neither vines nor wine in Egypt, 
■ — and that, at a later period, when better informed, he had 
given up this opinion, but had neglected to efface it. 
With regard to the nature of the soil and climate of Egypt, 
there certainly is nothing in them that could induce us to think 
the vine should not thrive there, or that wine could not be 
made. The chemists of the French expedition (it will suffice 
to name Berthollet), occupied themselves with means for intro- 
ducing a good method of making wine.' They knew the vine- 
yards, and the bad wine of Fidimine, a Christian village of the 
province of Fayoum in Upper Egypt ; they knew that the 
grape was of a much better quality, and far superior to the 
grape of Alexandria ; the same, without doubt, as that from 
* which the famous Mareotic wine was made, and which is well 
known at our tables ; it was ultimately proposed to make wine 
of it for the use of the nrmy, which could not have been very 
difficult. I have remarked, that the soil was somewhat sandy 
in the vicinity of Fidimine, and that of the ancient Marea, is of 
the same nature. 
This consideration completes the removal of all uncertainties. 
Vines w r ere not planted in the muddy soil, in Egypt properly so 
called, as has already been remarked by learned men ; but upon 
the border of the desert, a little above the level of the inunda- 
tion. This cultivation was not limited to the Mareotic district, 
nor to that of Arsinoe, since the same quality of soil occurs 
every where upon the confines of the valley of the Nile ; since 
at Elethyia, in a very insignificant catacomb, they have amused 
themselves with painting the gathering of the grapes, and the 
making of wine, in imitation, no doubt, of what was taking place 
in the neighbourhood. Thus, without speaking of the wines of 
Anthylla and Coptos, we have vineyards in Egypt under the 31st 
parallel, under the 29th and 25th, and from which wine might 
be provided for the annual consumption of Pharaoh’s guards, 
(about 730,000 pints), besides the wine consumed by the 
priests. Could we still doubt the existence of vines in Ancient 
Egypt, it would suffice to read the following passage in the 
Book of Numbers, chap. xx. ver. 5. : And wherefore have ye 
made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil 
