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through the kindness of Signor Fontossi, from CHAP. whom we received many civilities, to trace with a pencil a beautiful plan of the Catacombs of NECROPOLIS, which had been finished by one of the chief engineers belonging to the French Institute'. A poor Negro girl, who had been sold as a slave to some Frenchman, endeavoured this day to throw herself from a very high window; but being alarmed in the attempt, by the depth below her, held by her hands, and remained suspended in that situation until her cries brought some persons to her assistance.

2

(1) It is the same from which the Rev. G. Wilkins completed the drawing of those Catacombs that was engraved for this work.

(2) The officers of the French army purchased a number of these slaves. The Negro women were particularly in request among them, and many were conveyed to France. The cause of this singular taste has been explained by one of their own Savans, in the Appendix to Peltier's Edition of Denon's Travels.

Preparations for leaving Egypt-Journey to Aboukir-
Cities of Nicopolis, Taposiris Parva, and Canopus-
Uncertainty of their Topography-Thonis- Changes
which have taken place upon the Coast-Heraclium-
Aboukir Bay-Turkish Frigate-Persons composing
her Crew-Discipline at Sea-Bay of Finica-Meteoric
Phænomena-Eastern Coast of Rhodes-Lindus-
Southern Shores of Asia Minor-Bay of Marmora-
Rhodes-Cos-Town of Stanchio-Situation of the
French Consul-Antient Sculpture - Inscriptions-
Asclepiéum-Votive Offerings-Singular article of the
Mahomedan Law-Population, commerce, and produce
of Cos.

CHAP. IN the morning of September the sixteenth, we left Alexandria: taking back our horses, &c. to

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the British camp. A Chiaoux, or constable of CHAP. the Turkish army, rode with us from the gates. This man expressed great indignation that the French were permitted to capitulate for the surrender of the place: he said it was very evident that the Djours (Infidels) were all acting in concert with each other, and that their apparent enmity was a mere device to deceive the Turks. Being asked what the Turks would have done, if the whole management had been left to them; he answered, "We should have cut off all their heads, to be conveyed to the Grand Signior; or have stripped them naked, and turned them into the Desert." In our way through the British camp, we called upon Lord Hutchinson, and endeavoured to express our gratitude for his unceasing patronage, from the moment of our first arrival in EGYPT, bestowed in the midst of his more important avocations; and we hope that this now disinterested memorial may prove that his Lordship's kindness has not been forgotten. We then visited a few other friends, who were rejoicing in the prospect of a speedy termination to one of the severest campaigns which British soldiers are likely to encounter-a termination, too, that covered them with glory. The number of the enemy expelled by our army from Egypt, after all the losses he had sus

CHAP. tained, was greater than the aggregate of the

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English combined forces when they were first landed at Aboukir'. It was a contest against veteran troops, under every circumstance of privation; a species of warfare to which our soldiers were unaccustomed; carried on against men who were in full possession of the territory, were inured to the unhealthiness of the climate, and had all the advantages of position. Succeeding generations may indeed exult in the triumph thus obtained for our country; for, so long as the annals of our Empire endure, it shall be said, that "lance to lance, and horse to horse," the legions of France, who had boasted themselves to be invincible, fled, or fell, before the youth of Britain.

From the British, we went to the Turkish camp; and again had an audience of the Capudan Pasha. He had recovered his composure; and he gave us three letters; one to the Captain of his own ship, the Sultan Selim; a second

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(1) When we landed, the effective force of our army did not exceed 15,000 men. The French, an enemy well established in a country full of resources, embarked from Cairo 13,000; from Alexandria (mirabile dictu!) 10,000. We must perhaps deduct 5000, for the civil tribe and the merchants, who followed the army: there will then remain 18,000 for their effective force."-Colonel Squire's MS. Correspondence. Letter dated Alexandria, Oct. 5, 1801.

CHAP.

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to the Captain of the frigate in which we were to sail; and a third to the Governor of Rhodes, containing, as he said, an order for boats to take us either to Stanchio, or to Scio. Thus provided, we continued our journey to Aboukir, along the Journey to sandy neck of land which stretches, in the Aboukir. shape of a ribbon, from the place where our army landed, entirely to Alexandria; having the Lake of Aboukir upon our right, and the sea upon our left. The whole of this tract is a desert, interspersed here and there with a few plantations of palm-trees. The dates hung from these trees in such large and tempting clusters, although not quite ripe, that we climbed to the tops of some of them, and bore away with us large branches, with their fruit. In this manner, dates are sometimes sent, with the branches, as presents to Constantinople. A ripe Egyptian date, although a delicious fruit, is never refreshing to the palate. It suits the Turks, who are fond of sweetmeats of all kinds; and its flavour is not unlike that of the conserved green citron which is brought from Madeira. The largest plantation occurred about half-way between

(2) The leaves of these trees, when grown to a size for bearing fruit, are six or eight feet long; and may be termed branches, for the trees have no other.