Abyffinia, where every river runs in a bed of rock. When you leave the fea, you flrike off nearly at right angles, and purfue your journey to the eastward. Here heaps of flone and trunks of pillars are fet up to guide you in your road, through moving fands, which ftand in hillocks, in proper directions, and which conduct you fafely to Rofetto, furrounded on one fide by thefe hills of fand, which feem ready to cover it.

Rofetto is upon that branch of the Nile which was called the Bolbuttic Branch, and is about four miles from the fea. It is a large, clean, neat town, or village, upon the eastern fide of the Nile. It is about three miles long, much frequented by ftudious and religious Mahometans; among these two are a confiderable number of merchants, it being the entrepot between Cairo and Alexandria, and vice verja; here too the merchants have their factors, who fuperintend and watch over the merchandife dife which paffes the Bogaz to and from Cairo. There are many gardens and much verdure about Rofetto; the ground is low, and retains long the moisture it imbibes from the overflowing of the Nile. Here alfo are many curious plants and flowers brought from different countries*.

On the 30th of June, Mr. Bruce embarked for Cairo. There are wonderful tales told at Alexandria, as well as at Cairo, of the danger of paffing over the defert to Roletto. After you embark on the Nile in your way to Cairo, you hear of pilots,

The art of ferpent-eating, for which the ancient Pfylli of Egypt were fo celebrated is ftill preferved at Rofetto.

Laft week, fays M. Savary, was celebrated the feaft of Sidi Ibrahim, which drew a vast concourfe of people to Rofetto. A Turk permitted me to come to his houfe to fee the proceffion, Seated at the window, I obferved attentively this new fpectacle. The different bodies of artizans gravely marched along under their respective banners. The ftandard of Mahomet, which was carried in triumph, attracted a vast crowd. Every body was defirous of touching," of kiffing it, of putting it to his eyes. Such as were fortunate enough to partake of that favour, returned contented. The tumult was inceffantly renewed, At length came the Cheiks (the priests of the country) wearing long caps of leather, in the form of a mitre. They marched with folemn fteps, chaunting the Koran. A few paces behind them, I perceived a band of madmen, with their arms bare, and a wild look, holding in their hauds enormous ferpents, which were twisted round their bodies, and were endeavouring to make their efcape. Thefe Pfylli, griping them forcibly by the neck, avoided their bite, and notwithstanding their hiffing, tore them with their teeth, and ate them up alive, the blood stream. ing down from their polluted mouths. Others of the Pfylli were ftriving to tear from them their prey; it was a ftruggle who should devour a ferpent.

pilots, and mafters of veffels, who land you among robbers to share your plunder, and twenty fuch like ftories, all of them of old date, and which perhaps happened long ago, or never happened at all. But provided the government of Cairo is fettled, and you do not land at villages in strife with each other, (in which circumftances no perfon of any nation is fafe) you must be very unfortunate indeed, if any great accident befal you between Alexandria and Cairo.

They arrived at Cairo in the beginning of July, recommended to the very hospitable house of Julian and Bertran, to whom Mr. Bruce imparted his refolution of pursuing his journey to Abyffinia. The wildness of the intention feemed to ftrike them greatly, on which account they endeavoured all they could to persuade him against it, but, seeing him refolved, they offered kindly their most effectual fervices.

That part of Cairo, in which the French are fettled, is exceedingly commodious, and fit for retirement. It confifts of one long ftreet, where all the merchants of that nation live together. It is fhut at one end by large gates, where there is a guard, and these are kept constantly close in the time of the plague. At the other end is a large garden tolerably kept, in which there are several pleafant walks and feats. All the enjoyment that Chriftians can hope for, among this vile people, reduces itself to peace, and quiet; nobody feeks for more. They are, however, wicked emiflaries who are conftantly employed by threats, lies, and extravagant de nands, to torment them, and keep thein from enjoying that repose which would content them instead of freedom, and more folid happiness, in their own country.

There are perhaps four hundred inhabitants in Cairo, who have abfolute power, and adminifter what they call justice, in their own way and according to their own views.

3.1

T.

But

fortunately, in Mr. Bruce's time, this many-headed monster was no more, there was but one Ali Bey, and there was neither inferior nor fuperior jurifdiction exercifed, but by his officers only. This happy flate did not last long. In order to be a Bey, the perfon must have been a flave, and bought for money at a market. Every Bey has a great number of fervants, faves to him, as he was to others before; thefe are

his

his guards, and thefe he promotes to places in his household according as they are qualified.

It is very extraordinary to find a race of men in power, all agree to leave their fucceffion to ftrangers, in preference to their own children, for a number of ages; and that no one fhould ever have attempted to make his fon fucceed him, either in dignity or estate, in preference to a flave, whom he has bought for money like a beast.

The inftant that Mr. Bruce arrived at Cairo was perhaps, the only one in which he ever could have been allowed, fingle and unprotected as he was, to have made his intended journey. Ali Bey, lately known in Europe by various narratives of the laft tranfactions of his life, after having undergone many changes of fortune, and been banished by his rivals from his capital, at last had enjoyed the fatisfaction of a return, and of making himself abfolute in Cairo.

After a variety of circumftances of little confequence to the reader, Mr. Bruce was admitted to an audience of the Bey. He was a much younger man than he had conceived him to be; he was fitting upon a large fofa, covered with crimson cloth of gold; his turban, his girdle, and the head of his dagger, all thick covered with fine brilliants; one in his turban, that served to fupport a fprig of brilliants alfo, was amongst the largeft Mr. Bruce had ever feen. The Bey entered into difcourfe with him concerning the Ruffian and Turkish war, and converfed fome time with him on that fubject.

A

Two or three nights afterwards the Bey fent for him again. It was near eleven o'clock before he got admittance to him. He met the janiffary Aga going out from him, and a number of foldiers at the door. As Mr. Bruce did not know him, he paffed him, without ceremony, which is not usual for any perfon to do, Whenever he mounts on horseback, as he was then just going to do, he has abfolute power of life and death, without appeal, all over Cairo and its neighbourhood.

He ftopt our traveller just at the threshold, and asked one of the Bey's people who he was? and was anfwered, “It is

Hakim Englefe," the English philofopher, or physician. He afked Mr. Bruce in Turkish, in a very polite manner, if he would come and see him, for he was not well? He answered him in Arabiac, "Yes, whenever he pleased, but could not then stay, as he had received a message that the Bey was waiting." He replied in Arabic, No, no; go, for God's

fake go any time will do for me."

The Bey was fitting, leaning forward, with a wax taper in one hand, and reading a small flip of paper, which he held dlofe to his face. He feemed to have little light or weak eyes; no body was near him: his people had been all difmiffed, or were following the janiffry Aga out.

He did not fee to obferve Mr. Brace till he was close upon him, and started when he faid, “ Saldm" He told him he came upon his meflage. He faid, "I thank you, did I fend for you and without giving him leave to reply, went હ on, O true, I did fo," and fell to reading his paper again. After this was over, he complained that he had been ill, that he vomitted immediately after dinner, though he eat moderately; that his ftomach was not yet fettled, and was afraid fomething had been given him to do him mifchief.

he

Our traveller felt his pulse, which was low and weak; but very little feverish. He defired he would order his people to look if meat was dreffed in copper properly tinned; he affured was in no danger, and infinuated that he thought he had been guilty of fome excess before dinner; at which he fmiled, and faid to one who was ftanding by, "Afrite! Afrite!" he is a devil! he is a devil! Mr. Bruce faid, if your ftomach is really uneafy from what you have ate, warm m fome water, and, if you please, put a little green tea into it, and drink it till it makes you vomit gently, and that will give you eafe; after which you may take a difh of ftrong coffee, and go to bed, or a glass of spirits, if you have any that are good.

As Mr. Bruce's favour with the Bey was now established by frequent interviews, he thought of leaving his folitary manfion at the convent. He defired Mr. Rifk, the Bey's fecreta

ry, to procure his peremptory, letters of recommendation to

D 2

Shekh

Shekh Haman, to the governor of Syene, Ibrim, and Deir, in Upper Egypt. He procured alfo the fame from the janisfaries, to thefe three laft places, as their garrisons are from that body at Cairo which they call their Port. He had alfo letters from Ali Bey, to the Bey of Suez, to the Sherriffe of Mecca, to the Naybe (fo they call the Sovereign) of Masuah,” and to the King of Sennar, and his minifter for the time being.

Having obtained all his letters and dispatches, as well from the patriarch as from the Bey, he fet about preparing for his journey.

On the other fide of the Nile, from Cairo, is Geeza; and about eleven miles beyond this are the pyramids, called the Pyramids of Geeza*, the description of which is in every body's hands. Engravings of them had been published in England, with plans of them, upon a large fcale, two years before Mr. Bruce came into Egypt, and were fhewn him by Mr. Davidfon, conful of Nice, whofe drawings they were. He it was too that difcovered the small chamber above the landing place, after you afcend through the long gallery of the great pyramid on your left hand, and he left the ladder by which he afcended, for the fatisfaction of other travellers. But there is nothing in the chamber further worthy of notice, than its having escaped difcovery so many ages.

It is very fingular, that for fuch a time as thefe Pyramids have been known, travellers were content rather to follow the report of the ancients, than to make use of their own eyes; yet it has been a conftant belief, that the ftones compoling these Pyramids have been brought from the Lybian mountains, though any one who will take the pains to remove the fand on the fouth fide, will find the folid rock there hewn into fteps. In the roof of the large chamber, where the Sarcophagus ftands, as alfo in the top of the roof of the gallery, as you go up into that chamber, you fee large fraginents of the rock, affording an unaufwerable proof, that thofe Pyramids were once huge rocks, ftanding where they now are; that fome of them, the most proper from their form,

*Geeza is an ancient suburb of Old Cairo. A manufactory of fal amoniac is ef tablished there.