I 
62 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
ran fee from a little hill a ftriking refemblance of a 
green fea, 1 mean the verdant earth, without being 
able to fee the end. We came to our quarters, and 
were politely received by the Sheick, who was the 
principal man in the village. He ordered us to be 
conduced to a large room of a hone houfe, which 
was the property of a Turk in Cairo. After fome 
time we got our fupper, which, after the manner of 
the country, was (paring. Our Sheick had killed 
two kids. In the fame water they were cooked, was 
alfo boiled a quantity of wheat-bread to a pudding : 
of this they filled two veffels, each as large as two 
men could carry. In the middle, and upon the 
bread, was boiled rice ; round the edges the meat 
was laid, cut into fmall pieces ; the floor ferved for 
a table ; a rufli mat for a table cloth; the palm of 
the hand for a fpoon, and the fingers for knives and 
forks. A perfon that cannot be fatisfied with this 
treatment from Arabs, will fare but indifferently 
amongft them : but if he takes in good part the 
well-meaning manner in which they treat ftrangers, 
1 doubt whether more goodwill, franknefs, and hof- 
pitality, is to be met with amongft any nation than 
amongft them. This hath been the manner of their 
fathers, whofe hiftory we have in the Scriptures; 
and fuch it is to this day, and will remain fo for 
ever. We fet out at break of day for the place ot 
our deflination. After we had travelled an hour 
and a half over plains, and near feveral villages, we 
came to the Arabian tents, who have their camp 
I ■ round the Pyramids. Their chief is a Scheck, and 
without his permifiion none can approach the Pyra- 
mids. lie lent his eldelb fon out on foot to meet 
and welcome us, and he conduced us to a little 
houfe, built for travellers, at fome diftance from 
their tents. I there ordered him the prefents I had 
brought 
