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

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TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
of wallowing in the water, over the surface of which the head
onlv is to be perceived.
Menouff like all the towns of inferior note in Egypt, is princi-
pally composed of mud huts, which make a very wretched ap-
pearance.
It contains a manufactory of mats, executed with great
taste and neatness, and well adapted to the climate of Egypt.
At half past nine in the morning we quitted that place, and at
the expiration of nearly two hours entered the western, or Rasetki
branch of the Nile. In consequence, however, of the immense
quantities of water which had overflowed the surrounding country,
and by which the greater part of the villages were in a manner
isolated, and standing in the midst of immense lakes,
it was ex-
tremely difficult to ascertain the boundaries of the river. Such only
of the villages as were situated on an elevated ground were capable
of resisting the devastating effects of the waters.
.. At five in the afternoon we arrived at the village of Benofah,
and, having landed, found the inhabitants busied in preparing the
indigo, of which a great consumption is made throughout Egypt.
I have already touched on the processes employed, in detailing the
particulars of my visit to Heliub ; but on this latter occasion I was
enabled to examine the cakes procured from the sediment of the
beaten and macerated plant.
If greater pains were to be bestowed
by the natives of Egypt in the manufacture of this dye, the qua-
lity of the plant from which it is obtained is so good, that it would
become a very valuable and extensive article of commerce.
Having passed the night in our boat, we prosecuted our route at
five in the morning of die 5th, and arrived at noon at Foua, situ-
ated on the eastern banks of the Nile, in the Delta, which had
formerly been a place of very
considerable commerce. The build-.
nigs it contains are far superior to those which are generally met
with in Egypt, and of a much more cheerful appearance, being
constructed of a reddish brick, pointed with mortar. At this
place, which had still an air of carrving on an inconsiderable share
of traffic, we halted for about an hour, and were charmed by the
pleasing aspect of the surrounding country, which was in a high
state of cultivation, and supplied with a greater variety of trees
than we had hitherto observed. Within the town the inhabi-
tants were busied in preparing the flax, and extracting the oil
from the seeds. We observed several plantations of rice and sugar-
M canes.