Ui TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
in the morning of the 20th, at the very mouth of 
the Nile, where it feized three of this countries 
chebecks, laden with wood from Caramania for 
Egypt, and having on board a number of Turks 
and Greeks. The Turks taken on fuch an occafiort 
are made Haves, and the Greeks are fet at liberty, 
but their goods are deemed a lawful prize. Thefd 
cruizers are all equipped at Malta, but they feldoni 
carry a Maltefe flag, except the ordinary religious 
veffel which is commanded by a Knight, and con- 
ftantiy kept at fea. The others carry the flag of 
Sardinia, Spain, or the Prince of Morocco, as thefd 
powers are never at peace with the Porte, or the 
Republics of Barbary; that above-mentioned carried 
a Sardinia flag, but was from Malta. Six others 
cruized at the fame time on the coafts of Syria and 
Caramania. 
On the morning of the 21ft, I had the pleafurd 
of feeing from my window one of the moft remark- 
able fights in nature. A female Palm (Phoenix 
daftylifera Linnaei) had in the night put forth h s 
bloffoms from the fpatha. I went thither at fun- 
rife to fee it, whilfl the dew was yet falling. I fa'* 
a gardener, the proprietor of the Palm, climbing 
up the Palm, which equalled our largell firs in 
height. He had a bunch of male flowers, with 
which he powdered the female, and by thefe mean® 
fecundated them. After he had done this, he 
cut away the inferior boughs or leaves, between 
which the flowers of the preceding year had com® 
out, together with the remarkable web which 
covers the balls of the leaves, and goes from on 6 
edge of a leaf to the other. 
On one fide of Damiata is a large river, or 
ther gulf, which empties itfelf into the fea, and 
likewife receives an arm of the Nile : by which th® 
land 
