GRAND CAIRO. 277 
concealment, before it could be conveyed be- 
yond the reach of our forces. 
Signor Rosettis remote situation with regard 
to Alexandria prevented his giving a more 
explicit account of this monument, and of the 
place where it originally stood. It was, he 
said, of one entire piece of stone, of an asto- 
nishing size, and of a beautiful green colour: 
the French had taken it from some mosque, where 
it had been long venerated by the Arabs : and 
he ended by giving us a I'etter addressed to one 
of the principal merchants in Alexandria, who, 
upon our arrival in that city, would communi- 
cate any other information we might require 
upon this subject. 
The following day was passed in taking leave Prepara- 
of our friends, and in preparation for our depar- Departure 
ture. We had another audience of the Fizier, 
who made several inquiries concerning the 
Pyramids, and very kindly asked if there were 
any thing else in Cairo, or in its neighbourhood, 
which we might wish to see. He then added 
a few questions respecting the embalmed birds 
found at Saccara; requesting, at the same time, 
that we would send him one of these birds. 
This very rare curiosity in a Turk surprised us; 
