guardians. But what is no lefs fingular is, that thefe dogs never quit the quarter in which they were born. They form diftin&t tribes, which have limits they never exceed. Should one dog go into another quarter, he would foon be attacked by the whole ftrange tribe, and would find it no easy matter to escape from their clutches. The Bedouins; who in all refpects are far lefs fuperftitious than the Turks, keep large greyhounds, which also watch round their tents; but they take the greatest care of them; and they love them to fuch a degree, that to kill a Bedouin's dog would be to expofe one's own life. With the most decided as well as the most unjust averfion for a fpecies of animals, which, without hopes of imitating them, man has constituted the fymbol of unalterable attachment and fidelity, the Turks have a great fancy for cats. Mahomet was very partial to them. It is related that, being called up on fome important and urgent bufinefs, he preferred cutting off the fleeve of his robe to waking the cat that lay upon it faft afleep. Nothing more was neceffary to bring thefe animals into high request, if in other refpects their extreme cleanliness, the luftre and po lith of their skin, their mild and quiet difpofition, their gentle and cautious carefles, did not render them amiable creatures in the eyes of the Muffulmen. A cat may even enter a mofque; it is careffed there as the favourite animal of the Prophet; while the dog that fhould dare to appear in the temples would pollute them with his prefence, and would be punished with inftant death. But, compelled to avoid man, to whom he would wish to devote his domeftic qualities, and the perfection of his instinct, no dog is tempted to go into places where the Muffulmen are gathered together; they would there had neither friend to accompany, or mafter to follow. In antient Egypt cats were held in great veneration, but dogs in ftill more. In any houfe where a cat died a natural death (for no perion killing a cat, even involuntarily, could efcape a capital punishment), the inha bitants fhaved their eyelids only, but upon the death of a dog they fhaved their head and their whole body. Cats that happened to die were buried at Bubaftis, a confiderable city in Lower Egypt, now called Bafta. Thefe ho nours and prerogatives were not merely a matter of fancy; they had a great po

litical end, the intereft and fubfiftence of a whole people. It was neceffery to put under the immediate protection of the law a fpecies of animals, whofe defence ag inft the prodigious multi tude of rats and mice with which Egypt is infested was absolutely indifpenfable. Deification appeared to the priests the moft certain means to induce the peo ple to respect thofe objects which it was their duty to preferve. What fig nifies it in fact to a religious idolater whether he adores a man or a car, a woman or an onion; are not they all alike remote from Divinity? Superftition being then neceffary to men, was it not better to turn it to a useful pur pofe? Happy the people whofe fuperftition is directed to the advancement of agriculture and the public good! In a country where phyfical enjoyment is every thing, and moral fentiment almoft nothing, the alluring figure of the cat appeared preferable to the docility, the exquifite inftinet, and the difcerning fidelity of the dog. A single trait of this kind often marks the character of a nation better than a thousand obfervations on their manners and cuf toms, which foon become mere rou. tine, are in time confidered as indif ferent, and at length are fo habitual, that men perfevere in them rather than take the trouble of making any change, From this cannot an opinion be canly formed of a people that deteft the dog and love the cat, becaufe the latter carefully hides her excrement, and does not devour filth, upon which the nature of the dog fometimes incites him to feed? There are cats in all the houses of Egypt. In thofe of the rich they are indulged in the apartments, and partake of the effeminacy and indolence of their mafters, who amufe themselves in ftroking them, and lavishing on then careffes which thofe cold and haughty men will not deign to be flow on beings endued with fuperior fenfe. In a word, unless they were deified, as in the time of the antients, it would be impoffible for them to be better treated. Here, it is true, the cats are very gentle and familiar; they have none of that fufpi cious and ferocious difpofition which in fome parts of France diftinguish a race of animals more wild than domeftic." But thefe differences are as much the work of men as the effect of the influ ence of climate. In the department where I refide, as well as in the neigh bouring ones, the cats, especially in

the

the country next to the farm-houses, are the most unfortunate of all animals; mafters and fervants alike hunt, beat, and throw ftones at them, fet dogs at them, and keep them without food. If hunger, which their meagre appear ance attefts, induce one of them to watch, and take the fmalleft morfel, the pretended robber, because nature would not suffer her to die for want, forfeits her life for the dexterity fhe employs in fupport of it. How can cats in the house of fuch hotts, whofe cruelty approaches to barbarity, fail to have a ravenous look, the mark of ferocity? And, if we compare the milerable cats of my country to thofe kept at Paris, where better treated, and free from perpetual fear, they fhew an amiable familiarity, we hail find this an additional proof how far the difpofition of man influences that of the animals about him." (p. 184-187.)

It is not the ichneumon that deftroys the eggs of the crocodile, but a fpecies of tonoife, whole eggs are destroyed by the ichneumon.

Chap. XVIII. XIX. XXI. XXII. contain a defcription of birds, plants, and infects, about Rofetta, and the natroc, which is diftin& from nitre. The Egret not he ibis.

Ch. XX, defcribes ABOUKIR. "It was in this very road stead, but at too great a diftance from the coaft, that the fleet of the French Republick, commanded by the brave but unfortunate Bruyes, fought fo fatal a battle against the Eng. lifh fleet under the command of Admisal Nelfon; an action which it would have been both eafy and prudent to avoid, but the difaftrous issue of which bas nevertheless added new tufire and glory to the French name." (p. 212.) This is fuppofed to be the fite of Canopus The remains of an antient city occupy a vaft extent of country. Among columns and other ruins, our traveller faw and engraved a coloffil ftatue of a woman fluted all its length. This being a new character in ftatues, Mr. S. feems anxious to establish the fidelity of all his drawings, his "draughtfman being accustomed to the most perfect correct nels, and all of them being taken immediately under his own infpection." (p. 229.) In the market-place, they fcratched up for him with their hands a fmall pyramid of the finest black marble, in perfect prefervation, and all along each fide of its bafe was encirsled with hieroglyphics in a state of

equal prefervation. After purchafing it at an exorbitant price, he was obliged to leave it at Rosetta. But he has regiftered in this book (p. 284) his claim to it for the National Mufeum, in which it deferves to occupy a distinguifhed place. Could this be the point of an obelisk, fuch as that from Syene, brought over by M. Lethieuillier, engraved in two plates in Gordon's Eflay on the antient Mummy?

The falubrity of the water of the Nile is vindicated against Pauw, who does not feem to have tatted it any otherwife than thro' the reports of travellers. (p. 251— 254) Our traveller alfo defends Egypt from the charge of being the cradle of the plague. "We may, therefore, banish all uneasiness refpecting the fate of our interefting countrymen, by whole ex ploits and labours Egypt is at present honoured, as he was formerly by its civilization and its monuments." (p. 255.) We were afraid the new merit of civilizing Egypt was to have been given to Buonaparte and his friends, who began their career there by plunder and treachery; and, after overrunning Sy. ria, difgraced themfelves by a fhameful retreat and desertion, of which their heroic commander fet the example. "A malady truly endemical is the op thalmia, or inflammation of the eyes. Egypt is the country of the one-eyed and the blind; eyes perfe&ly found, or which are not welled or watery, are rarely to be feen. Misfortune has like. wife its bodies corporate; and the corporation of the blind at Cairo has fome times revolted, and carried matters fo far as to make the government tremble," (p. 260.) In this revolutionary difpofition they will be joined by these wretched men, whofe minds were firft blinded by Buonaparte, and then their eyes put out by following him into this hot and arid region, where the exceffive heat, the air impregnated with nitrous particles, the arid and burning duft which the winds fcatter in the atmosphere, are the prime caufes of the diforders of this organ, and the frequent watering of the streets of Cairo, which are not paved, but exceffirely heated." (p. 261.) Bad food and ve nereal exceffes are concomitant causes of blindness. The exceffive use of onions, though lefs acrid than thofe of Europe, is faid (p. 283) to contribute to increase the difpofition of the inha bitants to diforders of the eyes. No remedy was known for the frightfal elephantiafit

elephantiafis, where both legs acquire a frightful ard prodigious fize. Some, no doubt, will be difcovered by the refearches and talents of the French phyficians. (p. 260.) It will be well if they have leiture and opportunity to attend to their ftudies and experiments. Chap. XXIII. treats of female circum cifion. Our traveller is fuch a bigoted admirer of NATURE, that none of her operations or myfteries can be concealed from him. He traces her with rapture in every plant and animal, in every field and defart, and, absorbed in the contemplation of her, forgets, and ftudioufly neglects, her great Author. This is his ATHEISM; and his hatred of Superftition and Fanaticifm would be his Theilm, if he ever introduced the thought of a Deity, and did not pay his homage to the Sun. (p 277.) His detection of the Saadi, or modern Pfylli, or ferpent-eaters, is, however, laudable." All the animals that were hoftile to mice and rats were held facred by the antient Egyptians; they were under the protection of laws both civil and religious: nor do even the modern nations, who inhabit the fame country, barbarous as they are, deftroy them, but preferve for them fome degree of their antient veneration. The French will readily fee the importance of adopting the fame forbearance, and abftaining from a fport which would be fo generally detrimental, and on which the profperity of the colony in a great meafure depends." (p. 287.) They must be very confiderate indeed if they adopt thefe reflections, or have opportunity to carry them into execution. Before our traveller quits Rofetta, he has arranged his meteorological obfervations. His account of the camels, and the mode of travelling through the defart, is interefting; nor lefs fo the rafcality of the Coptic monks, who live among thieves till they acquire their habits. In the fepulchral chapel of a Mahometan faint Mr. S. copied a Greek infcription, which feems to have puz zled the Greck profeffor in the college of France, who could not fee that A flood for Flavius, and that Aishan could not agree with AIO2; and honeftly tells us that he had not time to explain it. (p. 310.)

Speaking of the continual dread of being plundered by the Bedouins, which he himself expected, but had all his property, except the greater part of his GENT. MAG. February, 1800.

money, returned, our traveller thus apostrophizes, in another fpecimen of French bombaft and abfurdity: "How ought this miferable people to bless the generous and powerful hand that comes to deliver them from the galling and iniquitous yoke which they have fo long been doomed to bear! With what tranfports ought they not to welcome their French deliverers, in the certainty of at length enjoying the abundance afforded by their foil, in which Fertility, aftonished at finding herfelf where Liberty was unknown, had nevertheless eftablished her dominion! But flaves, equally ftupid and favage, they have efpoufed the caufe of their tyrants, and, by a ftrange and deteftable effort of fuperftition and fervility, have united the partial efforts of ignoble cruelty and of barbarous perfidy to the impotent arms of the most odious of rulers. Slavery then is the loweft degree of the abafe ment of man, fince it fo effectually defiroys and effaces the moral and intelle&tual faculties as to make the victims not even regret their own fituation." (p 329.) What is this but to fay that the Bedouins of Europe have an equal right with thofe of Africa to plunder a fertile country, and difturb people who would otherwife enjoy the bleffings of their native country;-that thofe who have property fhould be ftript of it by fair or foul means, fhot if they will not difcover and give it up, be cheated out of their fuperftition by hypocrity and atheism, and delivered from their prefent fervility to be plunged into a worle?

When our naturalift fpeaks of wild hogs "carrying their heads low, and their gait is a kind of trot" (p. 349), we doubt if this be any new trait in the porcine character.

hardeft on Dr. Shaw, whofe obfervaOf English travellers Mr. S. bears tions were certainly more confined than Dr. Pococke's; but, except in the inftance before-mentioned, little attention is paid to his obfervations by our traveller. As to the Atrictures on Brydone at Palermo, every one knows how to value the credit of that traveller, who feems to have made as fuperficial a book as he could, for a particular purpose, to fhew his illiberal fcoff at religion and every good principle. He is not, therefore, to be given, as at P. 27, as a proof of the ill will of Englifh towards French travellers. It was referved for Mr. S. to complain of the

ill

ill treatment travellers receive from their own Government in France. We can atteft, on the authority of innumerable inftances in fucceffion, how contrary is the conduct of the English Government towards all who enter into its views of difcovery and improvement; and we are oftener duped by the addrefs of foreigners than rigid or fparing in our encouragement of them. Witnefs, as one inftance of many, the patronage afforded in this country to the Swedes, while this traveller fpeaks flightingly of Linné compared with Buffon, whole every idea is a theory to his countrymen.

Bishop Pococke queftions the effect of fear as an Egyptian diforder. Our traveller gives a frange inftance of it in a young man, wh, being threatened with the lofs of his head, though the fentence was no fooner paff d than revoked, had a white beard and loft his voice (p. 377).

"In the evening all the crows of the environs fuccetlively reforted in great numbers to a Imall fandy island in the middle of the river. There they remained for about a quarter of an hour, in a clofe-connefted body, and then difperfed, Aying away, one after ano. ther, in all duections. It might be almost imagined that they met together in this manner to concert fome plan of operation." (p. 382.) One would think the crows of France and Italy never fettled together, and afterwards feparated. We can affure Mr. S. this is no uncommon thing in England.

The wifh of Sixtus V. and Ali Bey, that every man might be able to carry his purfe in his hand, and leave his door open- every night, without running any risk (p. 390), was realized under our Alfred, by that excellent in ftitution of making the hundred anfwerable for the lots.

Ears of wheat, cut before they are ripe, then dried and flickly baked in an oven, and afterward, bruifed and boiled with meat, are a common di in Lower Egypt, where it is called ferik." Is this the parcned corn of the Old Teftament? (Se vcl. L. p. 527. LI. 25.)

With what fuper.or splend u will Egypt fhine by becoming a colony of France! Adjoining Africa on one lide, and wealthy Ana on the other, the feas of the North and Well feem to terminate on its fhores; while the Indian ocean, after having washed the happy confines of Arabia, from which it is fe

parated only by a fhort paffage, lofes itfelf in the Egyptian fands. It will be the centre and emporium of the com merce of the univerfe. The antient

cradle of the Arts and Sciences will become the theatre of their power; and the abode of their infamy will be the fcene of their aftonishing growth and perfection. To this exuberance of trade and genius, the most precious treasures of vegetation, the inimitable boons of Nature, will add permanent luftre. Uniting the various productions difperfed through the antient colonies, Egypt will become the epitome of them all; while its proximity to Europe will give it incalculable advantages. Humanity will not, as the other colonies, have to fhed tears over the luxuries of a prolific foil. Here Nature almoft difpenfes with labour, and man, with the flighteft efforts, is ena bled to enjoy her bounties. At the moment when our poffeffions in the Weft Indies were a prey to difcord and defolation; when the enemies of France redoubled their exertions to fnatch them

from her dominion; when neglected agriculture, inftead of offering its produce, increafed the troubles of the mo ther country; it was a great and noble conception to approximate them, and in a manner concentrate all their riches, by removing their trade to a land with in the reach of a fhort voyage, and af fording inappreciable refources." The appropriation of this interefting country to France is, we are here told, by no means a new idea. "It had certainly been an obje&t of the old Government. A French officer, paffing through Cairo to India, was employed to collect information refpecting the means beft adapted to facilitate the conquest of Egypt. He applied to the conful, who had feen no other part of the country than the road from Alexandria to Cairo, and, like the French merchants, had never exceeded the limits of the quarter to which they were confined. Plans, however, were drawn up, and tranfmitted to Verfailles, where, ac cording to cuftom, they were eternally buried in the public offices, the ordinaty fate of fimilar productions.” All this is very well laid by Ambition, grafping after power and wealth. But who fill (ay that the game of Ambi tion is not up, and that Providence, having feen out the extent of human folly, vanity, and wickedness, is not recalling man to his fenfes, awakening

reflection,

reflection, and, after convincing him of the inefficacy and infufficiency of all his aims, leaving him time to cool, and to reft, before the ftage of human actions fiaks under him? In this chapter we have an account of the date-tree, and the usefulness of its productions. The next treats of fubjects of natural hif tory, and fome trifling antiquities, which ware thought worthy of engraving

Chap. XXXIII. bring us to Cairo, a fummary of the revolutions of Egypt, from the time of Augustus to the conqueft of Selim, from the Memoirs of the ci-devant Academy of Inferiptions and Belles Lettres; the M malûks; All Bey, and the mifreprefentations of him by Savary, in whofe Letters on Egypt may be teen part of his hiftory, which, "though it could not be witten with more elegance, might have been related with more truth. If the extravagant praifes which that traveller bettows on the character and genius of his hero were omitted, and more particularly if the romantic and fabulous adventures of the young and beautiful Maria were fuppreffed, the principal events of this Mamalûk's political life would form an interesting history." (p. 432.) Such appears to be the degree of credit due to the embellishments of this letter-writer. Sonini defcribes Murad Bey, the principal political figure in his time in Egypt, and who had the courage to fight the French (p. 434), as an intrepid warrior, capable of enduring the fevereft hardships, courageous in adverfity, bold in prize, cool in action, but terrible in an onfet; who, with instruction, might have become a great general. proad deportment and munificent difpofition give him the dignified appearance of a fovereign; but injustice, ig. Borance, and cruelty, have rendered him a ferocious tyrant." (p. 434-) The furrups of the Mamaluks are a fort of long metal boxes, receiving the whole foot, and their pointed corners perform the office of fpurs. The rider always mounts on the off fide of the horle. (p. 439.) "To terminate a fenes of quotations relpecting the Mamaluk cavalry, fo tranfcendant as to echipfe them all, I had quote what Buonaparte write to the Executive Drectory, in his difparch dated Cairo, 6th Meilidor, year VI (24h June, 1798). "The Mamaluks," fays this greul man, had a magnificent body of cavalry, covered with gold and filver,

enter.

His

of dependency was ikfome to them, and their fole objet was to retain for the nfelves the throne of the futan. This was the favourite projet of the werk but a ubitions Ali Bey; and Murad By, notwith@anding the fruitlefs expe 'ition undertaken in the Summer of 1786 by the famous Captain Pacha Haffin, had begun to carry it into execution, by divefting the Government of Conftantinople of every fort of influence. Such, however, was the puerile and degrading power which the Ottoman Porte pretended to retain in Egypt, and which now feems to excite its regret to fuch a degree as to determine it to abandon its antient allies, and to throw itfelf into the arms of its natural enemies. When too late, it will be fenfible of its error. The downfal of its empire, a huge and overgrown Coloffus of defpotifm and anarchy, is not far diftant. Its approaching ruin will roufe the Turks from their lethargic fupidity, and they will not perceive the perfidy employed by the enemies of France to precipitate them into the aby is into which they are fallen till they have reached the bottom." (p. 430.) Thus does our traveller, or thofe who have had the revolationifing of his papers, boat of the piratical efforts of the French Republick to pollefs heifelf of territory under the mask of liberty and civilization; and, while the hold, out incalculable advantages to the fubjects of her ufurped dominion, he is herself the only gainer. How her projects have ended, Soanini, or his pub ithers, must blush and tremble to fee.

The defcription of Cairo and the environs occupies letters XXXIII. to XXXVII. The traveller, fick of his contin ment there, in "uncomfortable circumftances" (p. 471), had no inclination to pay more than a haẩy vifit to the pyramids and mummy pits of Savera in its neighbourhood. He had in his poffeffion two drawings of fome parts of the great mummy pit, accompanied with a manuscript account,

which