3 S3 
EGYPT. 
indecent way, the giddy tranfports of the paffions. Tliefe 
dancers fwallowed large glades of brandy, as if it had 
been lemonade. Accordingly, notwithftanding they were 
all young and handfome, they looked haggard and jaded, 
except the two above-mentioned, Jofephina and Hanka, 
who, though truly graceful, had received no other edu¬ 
cation than that which is purpofely beftowed on this loofe 
profeflion, with a view to its profits. When the dance 
was ended, thefe two girls appeared with all the delicacy 
of modeft women, yet polfefling the foft voluptuoufnefs 
which they, no doubt, referve for thofe on whom they 
lavifh their ferret favours. Notwithftanding the licen¬ 
tious life which they lead, they are introduced into the 
harems of the great, to inftruCt the young perfons of their 
own fex in all that may captivate and render them agree¬ 
able to their hufbaud or lord. They give them lelfons of 
dancing, finging, graceful attitude, and, in general, of all 
voluptuous attainments. It is not furprifing, that with 
manners which make the principal duty of women to con- 
fid in bellowing pleafure, thofe who follow the profeflion 
of gallantry fhould be the teachers of the fex. They are 
admitted to mofl of the feflivals which the grandees give 
to thofe of their own rank ; and when, from time to time, 
a hufband willies to entertain his harem in a fportive 
mood, they are fent for to ling and dance, as (hewn in 
the Engraving. 
The mallive Egyptian architecture, has now-given 
place to that of the Moorifh, which has no fixed princi¬ 
ples, nor-determined rules ; -and, as if all human affairs 
fhould glory in extremes, lightnefs and airinefs are the 
only objects that are confulted; and confequently there 
is an infinite variety in thefe productions. The orna¬ 
ments, though profufe, are never incoherent, and pre- 
fe-rve a degree of harmony which prevents them from ever 
palling the limits of grace and elegance. The domes and 
minarets, which are built with great rapidity, are railed 
with much regularity, by mafons who ufe but very few 
tools, and employ no other material belides plalter, fup- 
ported by very.fmall pieces of timber. The ufe of the 
minaret is only to point out, at a di,fiance, . the molque 
which it furmounts, and to fupport the gallery, in which 
every four hours the imans call together the faithful 
mu(Ililmans, by finging hymns to the Deity or to his pro¬ 
phet. In every niofque there is a ciflern, a bafon for ab¬ 
lutions, and wherever it can be commanded, a fmall en- 
clofure planted with trees, that the devotee may pray in 
the (hade. 
The mulfulmans, who make but little ufe of the light, 
take no pains to procure it in their buildings ; and in ge¬ 
neral all their cuftoms feem to invite to repofe. Their 
divans, where the recumbent'poflure is more eafy than to 
fit up, and from which it requires a ferious effort to rife ; 
their drefs, which is a kind of petticoat that confines the 
legs ; their large lleeves, which (tretch nearly eight inches 
over the fingers ends ; their turban,, which prevents the 
head, from Hooping; their cufiom of always holding a 
pipe in their hands, and intoxicating themfelves with its 
imoke : all thefe confpire to dellroy activity and imagi- 
'nation, fo that they meditate without an object, pafs 
every day in the fame taftelefs manner, and even their 
whole exillence, without feeking for any new fcene to re¬ 
lieve its dull monotony. Even that clal's of fociety who 
are obliged to work for their livelihood, arc not much 
different from the higher orders; they have been long 
taught to expeit no other reward from induftry than a 
bare fubfiftence, and thus they have no motive to depart 
from their ordinary routine, and to exercife their inven¬ 
tion. They even dill ike particularly every occupation 
which keeps them Handing ; the joiner, blackfmith, car¬ 
penter, farrier, all work fitting, even the mafon raiftes a 
minaret without Handing to his work : like favage nations, 
they do every thing almoll with a Angle tool, fo that one 
js furprifed at the dexterity with which they manage it, 
and fhould almoll be tempted to allow them inventive 
ingenuity, if their invariable method of proceeding did 
not rather lead one to attribute it almoff to a kind of 
inftinCf, like the infeCt, whole work nut nil) ip we admire, 
whilfi we know that/it lias not the power of applying the 
fame fkill to different purpofes. It is, however, to a 
defpotifm which always commands, and never rewards, 
that vve mult look for the fource and permanent caufe of 
this ftagnation of induftry. 
The inhabitants of this country build as little as pof- 
fible, and repair ftill lefs. If a wall threatens to come 
down, they prop it up ; if notwithftanding it falls in, it 
only makes the fewer rooms in the lioufe,and they quietly 
range their carpets by the fide of the ruins ; if at laft the 
houfe falls altogether, they either abandon the fpot, or if 
they are obliged to clear it out, they carry away the rub- 
Uilh to as (hort a diftance as poflible, which is the caufe 
that in almoft every town of Egypt, and especially in 
Cairo, the eye of the traveller is conftantly annoyed by 
heaps of rubbifh. In Upper Egypt their manfions are 
little betier than vaft pigeon-houfes, in which the owner 
referves to himfelf only a room or two for his own ufe, 
and there he lodges along with poultry of all kinds, and 
all' the vermin that they engender between them, which 
it is a part of his daily employment to hunt for, but at 
night the toughnefs of his fkin defies their bites. 
The government of Egypt being now re-affumed by 
the Turks with all their ancient authority, the police has 
been regulated much in favour of their capitan pacha, 
and of all their dependents. Ibrahim Bey, v\ ho was al¬ 
ways well-difpofed towards the grand feignor, is the (heik- 
el-belled, or chief of the mamalukes; and next to him in 
power is Mohammed Bey Elfi. The courteous manners 
and dignified appearance of Ibrahim Bey, added to the 
uniform mildnefs cf his character, lias conftantly gained 
him the refpeCt and veneration of all the different tribes 
in Egypt. Notwithftanding his advanced age, being in 
his fixty-fixth year, he gained great reputation in the re¬ 
view of the Ottoman army, by the grand vizier and general 
lord Hutchinfon near Cairo, by the dexterity and effeCt 
with which he managed the fipbre. I-Je is ftill robuft and 
aCtive, of a fair complexion', with a quick fparkling eye, 
aquiline nofe, and filvery beard. The kiachefs are the 
magiftrates or governors of the towns and villages, who 
adminifter juftice, and regulate the police throughout 
Egypt; but it is a lamentable reflection that the kiachefs 
and beys connive with each other in their unbounded ex¬ 
tortions on all the fubordinate orders of the people. 1 lie 
fheiks are the chiefs of the Mohammedan ntofques, as the 
Coptic priefts are of the Chriftian churches.' Few of the 
villages are without a public fchool, where the children 
are inftruCted in reading the koran. This is the only 
book they have ; and as the art of printing is fcarcely 
known among the modems, their copies are always ma- 
nuferipts : hence belles lettres and the arts are banilhed 
from modern Egypt. 
Fror.i the above ftate of things, we cannot wonder that 
ignorance, filth, indolence, and poverty, pervade the lower 
ranks of people throughout Egypt. Even in the public 
llreets of Cairo and Alexandria, little is to be feen but 
wretcliednefs and mifery; a mdft melancholy picture, af¬ 
ter reflecting on the inexhauftible refources-of that fertile 
country. Few of the rich females appear abroad ; hut 
the lower clafs are feen in groups. All of them are alike 
careful to hide the face, becaufe this is the only part 
they are enjoined to conceal. When an Egyptian lady 
pali'es thrffugh the ftreets, the more full, bulky, and cum. 
berfome, her clothes are, and the more they embarrafs her 
gait, the higher does (lie think of her importance : the 
upper garment commonly falls to the ground, and almoft 
conceals the feet: nothing appears of her whole perlon 
except her eyes; and even before thefe the women often 
fufpend a talifmanic ting, which has the virtue of driv¬ 
ing'away enchantment and bad luck. The poorer fort 
of women are often employed in fetching water; they , 
appear to be fond and affectionate mothers, and are fre¬ 
quently feen carrying their children on. their fiioulders. 
