io 4 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
who had made this holy journey, had the firft ftory 
of their houfes painted, and hung over their doors the 
mitre-lliaped Aloe, which grows in large quantities 
in the gardens of Cairo, to teftify their hope by this 
ever-green. This was both a joyful and forrowful 
day. ° Thofe who could embrace their relations and 
friends, after this dangerous, and by them greatly- 
efleemed journey, had reafon to fing joyful tunes, 
and meet them with harps and drums ; but they 
who had loft their friends, filled all the flreets 
with the lamentations and cries of hired mourn- 
ers. This is a trade practit'ed of old, and retained 
to this day in Egypt, with another quite the 
contrary, and both to be bought. When joy and 
forrow are to be fold, nothing will be found in the 
world which cannot be accomplifhed with money. 
Cairo celebrates every year on a certain day, 
viz. the 28th of January, the birth-day of Mahomet, 
in a more particular manner than any of thofe places 
who efteem the name and memory of the founder 
of this Eaflern religion. I may fay, that all who 
could flir were this day in motion at Cairo, all of 
the name of Mufelmen celebrated the day, and peo- 
ple of other denominations went to be witneffes of 
their joy. The large handfome fquare Lefbikie, 
was the centre of the feftival ; it is not far from the 
Turks ftreet, and exactly oppofite one inhabited 
chiefly by Coptites, on the left hand of the road 
that leads to Bulac. This place, which fome weeks 
ago flood under water, in the evening was bright 
with illuminations. A city mull pofiefs a Nile be- 
fore it can have, in one and the fame place, at one 
time a pleafant navigable river, at another a field 
covered with verdant plants, and then blaze with 
different kinds of bonfires. Feftivals of this kind 
arS' 
