TO GRAND CAIRO. 51 
of the river. It is thus possible to perform 
the whole voyage, from Rosetta, to Buhk the 
quay of Cairo, and back again, with certainty, in 
about seventy hours ; a distance equal to four 
hundred miles'. 
At half-past one p.m. we came in view of 
Motubis, sometimes written Metuhis, or Metahis", Moiubis. 
famous or infamous for those dancing-women Dandng 
called Almehs, which, however, are common in 
most parts of Egypt. When the French army 
marched to Cairo, General Menou halted here, 
and, in the true spirit of French licentiousness, 
pretending business with the Sheiks, but in 
reality to gratify himself and his soldiers, de- 
manded an exhibition of these prostitutes. The 
Sheiks of the place wished to be spared, even in 
Motubis, the degradation attending a public dis- 
play of such dances, and raised difficulties 
against their attendance; but, s^ys Denon\ "the 
presence of the generals, and especially of two 
hundred soldiers, removed the obstacles." In 
order to heighten the profligate sensuality of 
(1) Shaw makes the distance from Rosetta to Caho equal to 200 
miles. See SAaw's Travels, p. 294. Z/Owrf. 1757. 
(2) See Dewon's Travels, vol.1, p. 77. Lond. 1808. 
(3) Ibid. p. 78. 
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