S87 
EGYPT. 
maize, they chew the green (talk like the fugar-cane; the 
leaves are food for cattle ; and the medulla or pith, when 
dry, ferves for tinder ; the cane fupplies the place ot 
wood for firing and heating the ovens; flour is made ot 
the grain itfelf, and cakes of the flour, but none of all 
thefe parts are good. Thefe people manage their ovens 
with great (kill, and (hew dexterity in almoft all their 
avocations ; and as they have a paucity of tools, it is fur- 
prifing how much they do with their fingers, the inftru- 
jnents to which they are commonly reduced; and with 
their feet, with which they aflilt their hands wonderfully. 
As workmen, the common people have one great recom¬ 
mendation, which is, that they are patient and unafTum- 
ing, and ready to repeat their work till it is done to your 
mind. They are eminently fober, adtive, laborious, and 
perfevering ; and yet to reflect that a few tyrants exer- 
cife abfolute empire over many hundred thou (and ot fitch 
men, poffeffing fucli formidable qualities of body, ftrong- 
ly impreffes on the mind the fadt that fonie perfons are 
lulled by the habit of obedience, juft as the force of 
command adts upon others; and this (late continues till 
one party dumber over their abufe of power, whilft the 
others at lad awake at the noife of their chains. 
The Egyptian art of hatching chickens has been al¬ 
ways peculiar to themfelves. See the article Egg, p. 2S5 
of this volume. Their manner of raifing bees is not let's 
extraordinary, and befpeaks great ingenuity. Upper Egypt 
preferving its verdure only four or five months; the flow¬ 
ers and harveft being feen no longer, the people of Lower 
Egypt profit by this circumftance, affembling on-board 
their boats the bees of different villages. Each proprie¬ 
tor confides his hives, with his own mark, to the boat¬ 
man, who, when loaded, gently proceeds up the river, and 
(tops at every ; 1 -ice where he finds verdure and flowers. 
The bees (warm from their cells at break of day and 
colled! their nedhir, returning fevrral times loaded with 
booty, and, in the evening, re-enter their hives, without 
ever miftaking their abode. 
Tn Egypt, the camels do all the office of carts, by con¬ 
veying the provifions, and carrying away the filth : the 
faddle-horfes and affes are chiefly devoted to tranfporting 
patrengers from place to place, and they are feen in every 
(freet fuddled, bridled, and always ready to dart. The 
afs, which in Europe and the northern countries is heavy 
and dull, appears quite in Its natural climate in Egypt ; 
and it here enjoys all its powers in full perfection ; it is 
healthyy adtive, and cheerful, the mildeft and fafetl ani¬ 
mal to mount that one can potlibly have ; his natural 
pace is an amble or a gallop, and without fatiguing his. 
rider, he carries him rapidly over the plains which lie 
between the different towns. 
The Egyptian horfes are of the true Arabian breed, 
and are diftingtiifhed by the excellent qualities they pof- 
fefs, as well as by the fine fymmetry of their proportions. 
None but the Turks and Mamalukesare permitted to ride 
on hoffeback, in order that a fufficient lupply of horfes 
might always be obtained for their cavalry. For thort 
journies, or rides of pleafure, all other perfons life mules 
or affes; but for travelling over the defert, camels and 
dromedaries. The women ride attride like the men, on 
a broad and elevated pad, covered with a piece of rich 
Turkey or Perfian carpet. 
The goats in Egypt are remarkably fine, the females 
giving twice in the courfe of the day more than a quart 
of milk ; to prefervc an ample fupply of which large 
herds are kept. The mutton is good, and fold at a cheap 
rate; us are alfo the geefe, fowls, pigeons, eggs, &c. 
which are in great abundance throughout Egypt. The 
fleflt of the buffalo fupplies the table with beef, which, 
at the time the pafturage is in perfection, tome time after 
the retreat of the inundation, is fat and good. The (mail 
and delicate cows and oxen are on a variety of accounts- 
£00 ufeful to be fiaughtered for food while in vigour. 
They labour conftantly at the wheels by which the water 
i> conveyed to the fields and gardens. 
The principal fruits throughout Egypt are muflc and 
water melons, final 1 apricots, grapes, oranges, pomegra¬ 
nates, citrons, a few plantains about Rofetta, and millions 
of dates. The laft-mentioned fruit is the potatoe of this 
country, the poor people living almoft entirely upon it. 
The date-tree grows in large woods, thrives almoft every 
where, and a fandy foil agrees perfectly well with it. The 
peninfula of Aboukir, and great part of the fandy coun¬ 
try between Aboukir and Rofetta, are covered with them. 
Numerous advantages are derived from this tree, every 
part of which is made to fei ve fome purpofe. The fruit 
is very ivholefome and palatable food, and tolerable bran¬ 
dy is made from it. The leaves are converted into ropes 
for the gerrnes and other boats; the trunk of the tree 
makes fuel, and is ufed alfo in the conftruction of their 
lioufes. Wherever the date-tree is found, it is remark¬ 
able that water may be procured by finking wells. 
The difeafes of Egypt are few, but extremely alarm¬ 
ing : the moff common are fever, ophthalmia, dylentery, 
and plague. To the exceflive heat of the Cummer months, 
the three firft of thefe maladies have been attributed. 
But, were heat the only principle of thefe difeafes, the 
Said would'not be habitable. Heat certainly difpofes the 
blood to fever, and to which the inhabitants f'eem confe- 
quently more or lefs fubjeCl; and which they cure by re¬ 
gimen, drinking much water, and bathing in the river; 
in other refpeCts they are flrong and healthy. Old men 
are numerous,, and many ride on horfeback at eighty.. 
The food they eat in the hot feafon much contributes to 
the prefervation of their health ; it is chiefly vegetables,, 
pulfe, and milk. They bathe frequently, eat little; fel- 
dom drink fermented liquors, and mix much lemon juice 
in their food. This abflinence preferves vigour to a very 
advanced age. The waters of the Nile are lighter, fofter, 
and more agreeable to the tafte, than almoft any other. 
In Lower Egypt, the neighbourhood of the fea, the large 
lakes, and the abundance of the waters, moderate the 
fun’s heat, and preferve a delightful temperature. The 
greateft torment of the inhabitants are the gnats and 
muf’quitos, which, riling by millions out of the marfhes, 
fwarm in the air and the houfes. The handkerchief 
mu ft be held in the hand all day. It is the firft thing a 
vifitor receives, and at night it is neceftary to fleep under 
mu fquiteros. 
Opthalmia, or difeafes of the eyes, are the mod com¬ 
mon of all others in Egypt, where the blind are nume¬ 
rous.' Flight thoufand of thefe unfortunate people are 
decently maintained in the great mofque of Cairo. The- 
fmull pox is very common in Egypt, but without com¬ 
mitting great ravages. As to pulmonary difeafes, which, 
in cold countries carry off lb many in the prime of youth,, 
they are unknown in this more equable climate. The 
unhealthy feafon in Egypt is from February till the end 
of May, during which time they eat rice, vegetables, 
frefli fill), and fruits ; bathing frequently, and ufing plenty 
of perfumes and lemon juice, with which regimen they 
prevent the dangerous effects of that fickly feafon, and 
overcome the violence of dyfentery. But the mod fa¬ 
tal of all their maladies is the plague. Sonnini, Vol- 
ney, Savary, &c. feem erroneoufly to have fuppofed that 
this fever, now properly called epidemical or intermit¬ 
tent, was conftantly brought from Turkey in the (hips 
charged with old clothes, which annually came to Alex¬ 
andria fora market; “but thefe, and limilar reafons, 
(fays fir Robert Wilfon,) cannot any longer be maintain¬ 
ed, fince the plague lias generated annually in Egypt" 
during the laft four years, although no fuch communica¬ 
tion had been poflible; and even chiefly commenced in 
Upper Egypt. The fiource of this diiorder muft there¬ 
fore be fought for in thole phenomena with which tlie 
appearance is connected. The plague commences in. 
Egypt when the Nile begins to fall, and ceafes to be fatal, 
almoft to a day, (many pretend precilely Co,) after the 
17th of June, which is the period of the lunnner fol- 
ftice, and when the Nile is fuppofed to receive the firft: 
increafsL 
