430 PELOPONNESUS. 
CP 
vn. D/ows (Infidels) had acted friendly upon the 
' *~~' occasion" Thus the deliverance of Egypt, pur- 
chased at the price of British blood, and for 
which Abercrombie died, throughout the immense 
empire of Turkey was ascribed to a dastardly 
banditti, who were idle spectators of the con- 
test, encumbering rather than aiding the opera- 
tions of our armies. 
Public The rejoicings at Naublia began immediately : 
Rejoicings. J 
they consisted of an irregular discharge of small 
artillery most wretchedly managed, and the ex- 
hibition of athletic sports before the Governor's 
windows ; followed afterwards by a few bad 
fireworks, displayed without any effect, by day- 
light. The Athletce were principally wrestlers. 
We saw two of them advance into the arena 
where the combat was to take place : they came 
hand in hand, capering and laughing as if highly 
gratified by the opportunity of shewing their 
skill : presently they phit themselves in various 
attitudes, and began to make faces at each 
other. These men afforded a perfect repre- 
sentation of the antient TlaXr/, the oldest of all 
the exercises 1 . They wore tight leather 
(1) Even the origin of its name, nXi, is uncertain. Virgil derives 
the exercise from the Trojans, jEn. lib. iii. 280. 
" Actiaque Iliacis cclebraraus littora ludis." 
