1821.1 General Minn de Minutolis Researches in Egypt. 33t 
ropean, however, may find some amuse¬ 
ment when transported hither, as if by 
magic, lie sees camels without number, 
and men of all colours and dresses 
thronging the narrow streets. 
The city contains about 15,000 inha¬ 
bitants, including the Europeans, and 
not 6,000 as they are generally reported. 
The population is augmenting, from the 
frequent residence of the pasha, the 
progressive increase of commerce, and 
the number of Europeans that are con¬ 
stantly arriving. 
The heat rises every day to 23 or 
24° of Reaumur, but I feel no sensible 
effects from it, a&'on board the ship it 
was from 24 to 26° with little protec¬ 
tion against the sun. The sky here is 
not favourable to astronomical obser¬ 
vations ; it seems ever inflamed with a 
whitish fire, and that part of the atmo¬ 
sphere which extends over the desart 
has a reddish hue. The nights are ex¬ 
tremely humid. After sunset, you are 
immersed in dew, and the Europeans 
commonly retire to rest. To this state 
of the atmosphere, as likewise to the 
sands, impregnated with saline parti¬ 
cles, we may doubtless attribute the 
ophthalmia so prevalent in this country. 
We must carefully avoid the night air, 
or otherwise cover lip the head and ears, 
as the natives do with their large wool¬ 
len hoods. 
As to the plague and its annual visi¬ 
tations, all we can learn is, that it was 
not formerly endemical, and that its 
introduction (rather recent) is from 
more frequent intercourse with Con¬ 
stantinople. It has not been very de¬ 
structive this year, although the doc¬ 
trine of Fatalism, with its want of pre¬ 
cautions, is as prevalent here as in the 
capital of the Ottoman empire. This 
reason has prevented the Pasha of 
Egypt from fixing quarantine establish¬ 
ments on the coast. 
My host, M. Drovetti, ancient French 
consul general, overwhelms me with 
civilities. He is a very intelligent 
imd courageous character, and has 
provided essential aid for the suc¬ 
cess of our undertaking. He is well 
acquainted with the whole country, 
and is now in possession of a very rich 
and valuable collection of antiquities. 
In our court yaid are horses of Egypt, 
of Arabia, and of Dongola, tied by. the 
legs; a large ostrich stalks among 
them, with other oriental animals of 
different kinds. At noon and night, 
we eat dates and bananas, and reposing 
Monthly Mag. No. 360. 
like nabobs, have negroes to drive away 
the flies. These little bodied slaves, 
from Sennaar and Darfour, we often 
meet with; I shall purchase one to 
bring with me to Europe. The canal 
which the pasha has excavated between 
Ramanieli and Alexandria is highly 
advantageous for trading purposes, as 
the Bogaz is not always navigable, and 
as the. Nile, both in entering and quit¬ 
ting it, is often dangerous. And be¬ 
sides, it will secure in future, a more 
copious irrigation, and of course a bet¬ 
ter method of culture about Alexandria, 
where fresh water was wanted. Its 
width and depth are almost everywhere 
equal; its course is circuitous and ter¬ 
minates at the Old Port. It was finished 
in three months, by 250,000 men, a la¬ 
bour, which considering the force em¬ 
ployed, may be compared to the un¬ 
dertakings of the ancient sovereigns of 
Egypt. "The banks, mostly of mere 
sand, are liable to give way, but means 
will be resorted to, to ensure their con¬ 
solidation. 
At the time of the French invasion, 
in consequence of the bursting of some 
dykes, there was a considerable over¬ 
flow from the lake Mcereotis. Having 
gradually sunk within its limits, there 
lias been another overflow, occasioned 
by some strong accessions of the Nile. 
In the last two years, some hundreds 
of villages have been injured or partly 
deprived of the means of subsistence. 
Waters thus stagnant, must produce a 
fatal effect on the health of the inhabi¬ 
tants. 
In vain have 1 been searching for the 
gate of Rosetta, once so celebrated as 
an elegant model of Moresque archi¬ 
tecture; in its ancient form it has dis¬ 
appeared, as well as the greater part of 
the old wail of cloisters and towers 
that were its defence and ornament. 
Every thing has been demolished or 
changed by the pasha into new methods 
of defence, consisting of nails and 
towers with battlements but ill con¬ 
structed, and the fosses very indiffer¬ 
ent: the principal gates constitute a 
sort of towers supplied with cannon. 
As to the town of Alexandria, its 
means ot resistance are stronger on the 
land side than on the coast. Outside 
of the walls that surround it, on large 
masses of ruins appear the forts of 
Cretin, Cafikrelli ami others, con¬ 
structed by the French. I also examin¬ 
ed the field of battle of March 21, 
1801, wherein Sir Ralph Abercrombie 
2 U and 
