73°
O r ig in a l
■■ TION. ■
Progreffive
Geography.
Religion.
Government.
Population.
Revenues.
Manners and
Outturns.
e g' y f t ;
infpeCt a mummy, git- a Copt, in- order to confute his hypothefia- tftat?
the Egyptians were' negroes; but prejudice is worfe thanblinrinefs and
the .prejudices of ignorant phiiofophy are eq\lal to- tho'fe-of anytotRer
fanaticifm. The progreffi|re geography .and h^ftory of Egypt are familiar
to moft readers: and the chief antiquities'.have been fo repeatedly
defcribed, that, when no new light can be thrown; the repetition would
be alike tedious and unneceffary. The chief feenes of antiquity are the
pyramids ; andrihe tombsnear Thebe'S, 'once obftruâed and recently
difdofed ; widi m a n y rum s of temples,. and. other remains of ançipt
cities* Àt Achmunein there are £Urious_ ancient paintings, the .cqlours
being remarkably freffa.^
The ruling religion in Egypt hrthe Mahometan ; 'but tlAre are, many
Chriftîaà Copts who' havetheirprfirits- àôd inosaftèries* The gpnern*
ment is at prefent unfettled, bût wili probaby be- abaudfenedr to - a Turkifh
Pafha ; the ariftocracy of the Beys and' Mamluks being, .in. every appearance,
eradicated by the French ihvafioet;- M^\ Bfowâë eûimafes
the population of Egypt at two miHions and a half ;; öf whom the c ïfy
of Cairo may contain th e reverrufe-under the Beys might
perhaps be about one million fterhng,
A general fimilarify pervades the manners of Mahometan-countries,,
as the Koran regulates moft fprings of human life f-the fanaticifm againft
the Franks or Europeans Was extreme,, but ntafy perhaps he fomewhat
moderated by the recent terror of their arms* The Gbp«S are an ingénions
people, and harve great ftdll in btrimefs ; whencethey are generally
employed by the Mahometans as writers and aecomptants. The Mam-
Inks being extindt, the other chief xlafe confifts of Arabs or Mahometan
defcendants of thefe ancient conquerors. The heat of the-climate on--
forces' an abftëmióus diet : and thé hoiries even at Cairo are moftly
ipiferable dirty hovels. The common people are alfo- difgttftingly -filthy
in their perfons ; and1 the care which the women employ to cover their
faces is truly ludicrous, as in general to-difclofe them would be the moft
* Dr. White in hi# Egyptiaca, 1801, 4to, incline«,to think that the. noted column afcritted to.
Pompey, ornamentel a fpace oppofite to the -Seraphim or temple of Scrapia, in Which was the
great public library ; and efcaped ancient notice by it*' connection with- that grand edifice.
I ***♦
effectual
E G Y P T, 73*
effectual bar to, temptation: /But in-the clafles fomewhat more at eafe Mausers
the XZfoptic- women have interefting featuifs, dafge black eyes; and, c"*-
ifeugh of fhort ftature, have often ixlsga®it .'ftiaipes-.f The Coptic Ian*
gUage is nowhUly known iinmantifcrigts,. tie Arabic -being-iiniverfally Language,
tried.
Tbe>ebie£veity is Cairo, csr in ,the> oriental Xiiuseia&in Kahira, which Cities!
may indeed he regarded as thebnpterapolis of Africa, as no city through- Cair0‘-
cult? this wider «continent- can perhaps-boaft afixthipart of its* population:
This celebrated metropolis is jorUthe -eaft fide of the Nile, ,at feme
-diftance; ,hut two-fubuebs conned! itiwith theriveo ‘On thexaft is a
«dge;bj* that Far as Upper
■ Egypt; On the north a'plain extends ‘to the delta whieh It refembles
s|g|1 ; #hdjj productions: ;£b|ie pppuljKtipn; as already-mentioned, is
'‘3Q9&0& 5 but the ftreets are narrow in jorder fo guard .
^inft-tho'fiuh^ and there is-aa interior wide..canal ftyled .the Cfialige*
the ftench'of-yrhich is occafionaily intolerable, Ao»^ tfcechirf ftre^t
®afs along. ifsfh$ry Tlte_ principal mo&is; ornamented withvpiH4rS,hf
atfd Perftan earpetj, and has a library-of manu^ripts; great f
property being attached to the foundation. There are-many refervoios
for water, pubik haths, and bazars or markets, where ieach trade has
it§ fa%tt£d quarter. The hpufis are moftly of fapd-fto-ne from the
jmountain behind; and are fomerimes three ftories high with flat roofs.
The haramS; tor the women, are ex-pfenftvjely .futnilbedbu|;,
thnfe of the men near and plain. .Before the d|feovfery of j the, -Cape
of fpood Hope the commerce .was immenfe; and Gairo is' ftillytbe centre,,
pf that of eaftern- Africa, as ^Tripoli is of the weftern. /From Yemen
■ are imported coflee, drugs, odours, and feme gems; muffin*. gottonj,
fpi,ces from Hindoftan : and the caravans from Sennaar and Fur bring
flayes,'rg.old duft, ivory, horns of the ritfnpceros, oftrich feathers, gums,
and drugs. From Tunis and Tripoli are-brought oil, red caps, and
■ fine flannel: frorafiiyriaept^n:, filk, &4p, tbhacco^-.fromCorrftantinople
white.flayes, Circaifians or Georgians, the males being the nnteddVlamc.
luks, with all kinds of brafs, copper-, and iron manufa^twe^ rNumeroias
negro flaves pafs from Cairo to the more northern Mahometan countries.'
Apaong the manufactures .are fbgar; fal ammoniac, glafs lamps, tall-, f
' S A 2 ' 1 1 .petre,