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Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

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SYRIA, EGYPT, GERMANY, &C. 229<br />

afterwards entered <strong>the</strong> town, attended by his suite, <strong>and</strong> hav<strong>in</strong>g vi-<br />

sited <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal streets, bazars, <strong>and</strong> public places, returned to<br />

camp.<br />

Early <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> morn<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> 1 1 th <strong>the</strong> mission marched <strong>in</strong>to Cairo,<br />

<strong>and</strong> was immediately put <strong>in</strong> possession of <strong>the</strong> house, <strong>the</strong> property<br />

of Kassan Rey, one of <strong>the</strong> Mamelukes, which had been recently<br />

occupied by<br />

<strong>the</strong> French Institute. The forts Institute <strong>and</strong> Ibrahim<br />

Bey, on this side of <strong>the</strong> Nfle, toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> isl<strong>and</strong> of<br />

Iiouda <strong>and</strong> Giza on <strong>the</strong> opposite bank, were still <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> possession<br />

of <strong>the</strong> French.<br />

In pass<strong>in</strong>g through <strong>the</strong> streets I observed that <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal of <strong>the</strong><br />

bazars were shut, <strong>the</strong>re be<strong>in</strong>g but few commodities for sale. The<br />

utmost tranquillity prevailed; <strong>and</strong> many of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>habitants, who<br />

had <strong>the</strong> same wretched appearance with those of <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r towns<br />

<strong>and</strong> villages of <strong>Egypt</strong>, saluted us on our way.<br />

I rode after d<strong>in</strong>ner to <strong>the</strong> citadel, situated on an em<strong>in</strong>ence be-<br />

neath mount MokOfam, by<br />

which it is comm<strong>and</strong>ed. The build-<br />

<strong>in</strong>gs with<strong>in</strong>side were for <strong>the</strong> greater part <strong>in</strong> ru<strong>in</strong>s, little attention<br />

hav<strong>in</strong>g latterly been paid except to those which were calculated for<br />

defence, <strong>and</strong> which, on a close <strong>in</strong>spection, appeared to be but ill<br />

adapted to such a purpose.<br />

The comm<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g position of <strong>the</strong> cita-<br />

del, which occupies a great extent of ground, is, notwithst<strong>and</strong>-<br />

<strong>in</strong>g, such as to enable those with<strong>in</strong> to annoy <strong>the</strong> enemv on his ap-<br />

proach. From <strong>the</strong> quarters of Colonel Stewart I had a very<br />

complete <strong>and</strong> extensive view of Old Cairo, Gr<strong>and</strong> Cairo, Boalac,<br />

Giza, <strong>the</strong> isl<strong>and</strong> of Rouda, <strong>the</strong> Pyramids, <strong>the</strong> Nile, &c. The<br />

gr<strong>and</strong> aqueduct ris<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> Nile, <strong>and</strong> ascend<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> castle<br />

with upwards of two hundred arches, was dist<strong>in</strong>ctly <strong>in</strong> sight.<br />

On <strong>the</strong> 14th, <strong>the</strong> 30th <strong>and</strong> 86th regiments took possession of <strong>the</strong><br />

forts on <strong>the</strong> side of <strong>the</strong> Nile on which we were encamped. A<br />

party of Mamelukes <strong>and</strong> Arnauts crossed <strong>the</strong> river, to accom-<br />

pany <strong>the</strong> French troops, who were to leave Rouda on <strong>the</strong> fol-<br />

low<strong>in</strong>g morn<strong>in</strong>g. Those who had capitulated amounted to about<br />

twelve thous<strong>and</strong> ; <strong>and</strong> were to be accompanied to France by <strong>the</strong><br />

Coptic General Yacouh, <strong>and</strong> a considerable number of male <strong>and</strong><br />

female Arabs.<br />

I rode on <strong>the</strong> morn<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> 15th to <strong>the</strong> reservoir of <strong>the</strong> aqueduct<br />

on <strong>the</strong> bank of <strong>the</strong> Nile, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> vic<strong>in</strong>ity of which labourers<br />

were employed <strong>in</strong> bank<strong>in</strong>g up <strong>the</strong> earth, to prevent <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>flux of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Nile dur<strong>in</strong>g its ascent, until a particular period when <strong>the</strong> mound

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