travels

HOLY LAND, AND CYPRUS. 43Egypt. This Pasha was absent on an expedition against theArabs of the Western Desert; but his Kaya Bey acceded tomy wishes for further letters of protection, to proceed beyondthe cataracts. He may be considered as having Europeanideas with respect to women :> he had no pleasure in thesociety of such as the customs, of the East obliged him to immurein a harem; and was the first, perhaps, who had honestyenough to confess, that the love of; a woman preserved bybolts and bars from temptation was hardly,worth having.He ruled with absolute sway during the absence of Ibrahim.His chief employnieot seemed to be to enrich his master atthe expense of the. Egyptians.'! I met at his divan Arabsfrom Cairo, who gave me the sign of fifeeniasonry.The town of Siout, now roade the capital of UpperEgypt, instead of Girgeh, is about a mile from the river-sideon the west bank; the Mokattam forms an amphitheatre ofhills behind it, that render it picturesque. It was fortified, inthe time of the Mamelouks, by low walls, flanked with roundtowers of unbaked brick, with a ditch in front of the whole;gardens and palm-trees appear mixed with the buildings ofthe town. The ancient excavations, described by Denon andoth^s, are all that remain of. the city of LyeopoMs. Underneaththem, at the foot, of the Mokattam, runs a range ofmodern Mahometan tombs for nearly a mile^ in a grove ofsount, or Egyptian thorn, bearing a tufted yellow flower. InΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗG 2