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

SYRIA, EGYPT, GERMANY, &C. 29
seamen had occurred in the course of the preceding summer, when
it is said that upwards of two hundred individuals perished in at-
tempting this dangerous passage. It certainly ought not to be undertaken
unless by those who are in the constant practice of navigating
between Rosetta and Alexandria. The Arabs wait invaria-
bly for calm weather, or for a moderate breeze from the south, in
either of which cases the surf is kept down, and the passage effect
ted with safety.
On the morning of the 24th I walked to fort Julien, distant from
Rosetta about five miles, and from the bogaz about a
league.
It is
a square fort, having in its centre a blockhouse, and may be con-
sidered as a work of regular construction.
The walk from Rosetta to fort Julien is extremely agreeable,
through woods of dates, and gardens filled with the choicest fruit
trees, among the great variety of which may be comprehended the
banana, the orange, the lemon, and the citron.
On my return to Rosetta I saw a young ostrich which measured
about three feet and a half from the back, and, when in an erect
posture, from seven to eight
feet from the head downwards. The
size of these animals, when full is grown, enormous. In many in-
stances they measure, in an upright position,
from eleven to thir-
teen feet. Their extraordinary speed affords the Arab who goes
out in pursuit of them one of his best opportunities to display his
activity and address. It, indeed, seldom happens that they can be
overtaken without the aid of greyhounds ; and for this reason the
hunters who are not provided with this description of dogs, seek a
concealment, whence they assail the animal when within the reach
of the gun. Their object is to procure the beautiful feathers, which
find a ready sale, and to extract the fat, which is employed for cu-
linary purposes. It is unnecessary to speak of the extraordinary
size of the eggs, which is proportioned to that of the animal ; but
1 must remark, that in Egypt they form a part of the ornaments of
the Turkish mosques, and even of the Christian churches, from
the roofs of which they
are suspended.
We learned on the 25th that Colonel Holloway and Major Hope
had, with Mr. Stratton, secretary of legation, quitted Alexandria
on the 15th, on their route to Constantinople. On account of the
prevalence of that dreadful scourge, the plague, we were under the
necessity of observing much circumspection in our intercourse with
Rosetta, between which place and Alexandria all commerce was
prohibited by land, bv the British commander in chief, and a qua-