A L E X A 
klurlif, Abut Kafnn the Magrebian general retired from 
Alexandria, leaving there only a garrifon of 300 men, 
of which Tkmaal, the khalif’s admiral, being apprifed, he 
in a few days appeared before the town, and carried off 
the remainder of the .inhabitants to an ifland in the Nile 
called Abukair. This was done to prevent Abul Kafem 
from meeting with any entertainment at Alexandria, in 
cafe he fhould think proper to return. According to Eu- 
tychius, above 200,000 of the miferable inhabitants perifli- 
ed this year. 
What contributed to raife Alexandria to fuch a prodi¬ 
gious height of fplendour as it enjoyed for a long time, was 
its being the centre of commerce between the eaftern and 
veftern parts of the world. It was with the view of be¬ 
coming mailer of this lucrative trade, that Alexander 
built this city, after having extirpated the Tyrians who 
formerly engroffed all the Eaft-India traffic. Of the im- 
m.enfe riches which that trade afforded, we may form an 
idea, from coniidering that the Romans accounted it a 
point of policy to opprefs the Egyptians, efpecially the 
Alexandrians; and, after the defeat of Zenobia, there was 
a fingle merchant of Alexandria who undertook to raife 
and pay an army out of the profits of his trade. The 
Greek emperors drew prodigious tributes from Egypt, and 
yet the khalifs found their lubjefts in fo good circum- 
ffances as to fcrew up their revenues to three hundred mil¬ 
lions of crowns. 
Though the revolutions which happened in the govern¬ 
ment of Egypt, after it fell into the hands of the Mahome¬ 
tans, frequently aff'efted this city to a very great degree ; 
yet dill the excellence of its port, and the innumerable con¬ 
veniences refulting from the Eaft-India trade, to whom'fo- 
ever were mafters of Egypt, preferved Alexandria from 
total deftruction, even when in the hands of the rnoft bar¬ 
barous nations. Thus, in the thirteenth century, when 
the barbarifm introduced by the Goths, See. began to 
wear oft'from the European nations, and they acquired a 
tafie for the elegancies of life, the old mart of Alexandria 
began to revive; and the port, though far from recover¬ 
ing its former magnificence, grew' once more famous by 
becoming the centre of commerce : but having fallen un¬ 
der the dominion of the Turks, and the paffage round the 
Cape of Good Hope being difeovered by the Portuguefe 
in 1499, a fatal blow' was given to the Alexandrian com¬ 
merce, and the city has fince fallen into decay. 
At prefent, the city of Alexandria is reckoned to have 
about 15,000 inhabitants; a ftrange colluvies of different 
nations, as well as from various parts cf the Turkifh em¬ 
pire. They are in general given to thieving and cheat¬ 
ing ; and (like their predeceffors) feditious above all 
others, were they not kept in awe by the feverity of their 
government. The Britifh and French carry on a confide- 
rable commerce with them, and have each a conful read¬ 
ing here. Some Venetian fhips alfo tail thither yearly, 
but moftly under French colours. The fubjedts ofthofe 
kingdoms which keep no conful here, are fubjetted to a 
tax by the Grand Signior: but the Jews have found out a 
method of indemnifying themfelves for this difadvantage; 
namely, by felling their commodities cheaper than other 
foreigners can afford. They are alfo favoured by the far¬ 
mers of the revenue ; who know, that, if they do not pay 
fome private regard to them, the Jews have it in their 
power to caufe fewer merchandizes to come into their port 
during the two years that their farm lafts. 
The prefent city is a kind of peninfula fituated between 
she two ports. That to the weflw'ard was called bv the 
ancients the Portus Eunojlus , now the Old Port, and is by 
far the heft; Turkifh veffels only are allowed to anchor 
there : the other, called the New Port, is for the Chrif- 
tians; at the extremity of one of the arms of which flood 
the famous Pharos. The New Port, the only harbour for 
the Europeans, is clogged up with fand, infomuch that in 
ftormy weather fhips are liable to bilge; and, the bottom 
being alfo rocky, the cables foon chafe and part; fo that 
one veiled driving againft a fecond, and, that againft a third, 
N D R I A. 275 
they are perhaps all loff. Of this there was a fatal in- 
flar.ee about tw'enty-five years ago, when forty-tw’o veffels 
w'ere daftied to pieces on the mole in a gale of wind from 
the north-weft, and numbers have been fince loft there at 
different times. If it be afked in Europe, Why do they 
not repair the New Port ? the anfwer is, That in Turkey 
they deftroy every thing, and repair nothing. The old 
harbour will be deftroyed likewife, as the ballaft of veffels 
has been continually thrown into it for the laft 200 years. 
The fpirit of the Turkifh government is to ruin the la¬ 
bours of paft ages, and deftroy the hopes of future times, 
becaufe the barbarity of ignorant defpotifm never confiders 
to-morrow. 
In time of war, Alexandria is of no importance ; no for¬ 
tification is to be feen; even the Farillon, with its lofty 
towers, cannot be defended. It has not four cannon fit 
for fervice, nor a gunner who knows how to point them. 
The 500 janifaries, who fhould form the garrifon, reduced 
to half that number, know nothing but how to fmoke a 
pipe. But Alexandria is a place of which the conqueft 
would be of no value. A foreign power could not main¬ 
tain itfelf there, as the country is without water. This 
inuft be brought from the Nile by the kalidj, or canal of 
twelve leagues, which conveys it thither every year at the 
time of the inundation. It fills the vaults or refervoirs dug 
under the ancient city, and this provifion muft ferve till 
the next year. It is evident, therefore, that, were a foreign 
power to take poffeffion, the canal would be flint, and all 
fupplies of water cut off. It is this canal alone which con¬ 
nects Alexandria with Egypt; for from its fituation with¬ 
out the Delta, and the nature of the foil, it really belongs 
to the deferts of Africa. Its environs are fandy, flat, and 
fterile, without trees and without houfes ; where we meet 
with nothing but the plant which yields the kali, and a 
row of palm-trees which follows the courfe of the kalidj 
or canal. 
The city is governed like others in the fame kingdom. 
(See Egypt.) It hath a frnall garrifon of foldiers, part 
of which are janifaries and affafts ; who are very haughty 
and infolent, not only to ftrangers, but to the mercantile 
and induftrious part of the people, though ever fo confi- 
derable and ufeful. The. government is fo remifs in fa¬ 
vour of tliefe wretches, that Mr. Norden informs us, one 
of them did not hefitate to kill a farmer of the cuftoms, 
for refilling to take lefs of him than the duty impofed, and 
went off unpunifhed; it being a common falvo amongthem, 
that what is done cannot be undone. 
The prefent condition of Alexandria is very defpicable, 
being now fo far ruined, that the rubbifh in many places 
overtops the houfes. The famous tower of Pharos has 
long fince been demolifhed, and a caftle, called Farillon, 
built in its place. The. caufevvay which joined the ifland 
to the continent is broken down, and its place fupplied by 
a ftone bridge of feveral arches. Some parts of the old 
walls of the city are yet Handing, and prefent us with a 
mafterpiece of ancient mafonry. They are flanked with 
large towers, about 200 paces diftant from each other, 
with frnall ones in the middle. Below are magnificent 
cafemates, which may ferve for galleries to w alk in. In 
the lower part of the .towers is a large ’fquare hall, whofe 
roof is fup ported by thick columns of Thebaic ftone. Above 
this are feveral rooms, over which there are platforms 
more than twenty paces fquare. The ancient refervoirs, 
vaulted with fo much art, which extend under the whole 
town, are almoft entire at the end of 2000 years. 
Of Cnelar’spalace there remain only a few porphyry pil¬ 
lars, and the front, which is almoft entire, and looks very 
beautiful. The palace of. Cleopatra was built upon the 
walls facing the port, having a gallery on the outlide, fup- 
ported by feveral fine columns. Not far from this palace 
are two obeli !ks vulgarly called Cleopatra:s Needles. Thc'y 
are of Thebaic ftone, and covered with hieroglyphics! 
One is overturned, broken, and lying under the fand; the 
other is on its pedeftal. Thefe two obelifks, each of them 
of a fingle ftone, are about fixty feet high, by feven feet 
fquare 
