with, from Alexandria to Rozetto; the whole tract appearing to have been originally either a continuation of the sandy coast of Libya, or else to have been an island. In sailing likewise to the eastward, besides several smaller hillocs of sandy ground, we see a pretty large one to the E. of the Bolbutic* mouth of the Nile, another of Cape Brullos, and a third to the W. of DamiAll these might have been originally so many islands, and have served from their very situation to give the first check to the stream; and afterwards, by gradually collecting and retaining the mud, have laid the first foundation of the Delta. But further notice will be taken of this curious subject. ata. Except at the time of the inundation, when the whole country is one continued lake, no diversion can be attended with greater pleasure than travelling upon the Nile. At every winding of the stream, such a variety of villages, gardens and plantations, present themselves to our view, that from Rozetto to Kairo, and from thence all the way down, by the other branch, to Dami-ata, we see nothing but crowds of people, or continued scenes of plenty and abundance. The many turnings of the river, make the distance, from Kairo to each of those cities, near cc M. though, in a direct road, it will scarce amount to half that number. Kairo, * This seems to be the same that is taken notice of by Strabo, under the name of ΑΓΝΟΥ ΚΕΡΑΣ. Μετα δε το Βολόντινον τορία επιπλεον εκκείται ταπεινη και αμμώδης ακρα· καλείται δε Αγνά κέρας, 1. xvii. p. 1153. Kairo, or Al Kahirah*, or in the eastern appellation, Al Messer, lies nearly two miles to the E. of the Nile, and fifteen to the southward of the Delta, as Memphis †, which lay over against it, on the western shore, is said to have done. It is built in the form of a crescent, under the northern shade of that mountain, where the ancient castle of the Babylonians was situated. The Khalis, the Amnis Trajanus of the ancients, which annually supplies the city with water, runs from one point of it to another, and is little more than five miles long. Kairo therefore, or Grand Kairo, according to the usual appellation, is much inferior *Al Kahirah, i. e. Victrix, a vicit, subjugavit. Gol. The same interpretation hath been put upon Kair-wan, notwithstanding what hath been already observed, p. 116. 'Occuba,' says D' Avity, 'bastit au mesme lieu où il avoit defait le Comte Gregoire, une ville qu'il nomma Cayre, c'est-a-dire Victoire; puis 'on l'appelle Cayravan, c'est-a-dire deux Victoires, a cause 'd'une autre que les Arabes y obtinrent depuis.'-Vid. La Description generale de l'Afrique par P. D'Avity, p. 49. But the inhabitants of Egypt, and of all the Levant, usually call Kairo Messer, a name taken from Mizraim the son of Cham, the first planter of this country. Urbs Fostat est ipsamet Metsr, sic dicta 'a Misram filio Cam, filii Noe, cui pax: ipse enim eam ædificaverat 'primitus. Dicitur autem appellata fuisse Fostat, quod volente 'Amro filio Aas, post captam Metsr, proficisci Alexandriam, præ'ceperit ut præcederet eum Alfostat (i. e. tentorium) et figeretur aut transportaretur ante se: quare accidit ut columba descenderet, ovum in ejus vertice pareret. Quod ad Amrum delato, jus* sit ut relinqueretur tentorium eodem in situ, donec columba om 'suum perficeret.' Geogr. Nub. p. 97. + Μέμφις δ' ετι απο τα Δελτα τρισχοινον εις αυτην. Strab. ut supra. Plin. l. v. c. 9. Strab. 1. xvii. p. 1160. Η Δι' ής (Ηλιοπολεως) και Βαβυλώνος πολεως Τραιανος, ποταμος ῥει. Ptol. Geogr. 1. iv. c. 5. inferior in extent to several cities of Christendom. However, it must be allowed to be exceedingly populous; for several families live in one house, and a number of persons live in each chamber of it. During likewise the busy time of the day, the principal streets are so crowded with people, that there is no small difficulty to pass by them. The way that leads up to the castle, is cut through the rock; from whence this ridge of eminences seems to have been called Jibbel Moccatte, or Mocat-em, i. e. the mountain that is hewn or cut through. Besides other places of less account within the castle, we are first of all shewn a spacious magnificent hall, supported by a double row of large Thebaic columns; then we are shewn the Beer el Hallazoune, or the snail-like wellt, which, with the stair case that goes winding round it, are hewn out of the natural rock. Both the hall and the well are looked upon by the inhabitants to be works of such grandeur and expence, that the patriarch Joseph, whose prison they *Provided the villages of old Kairo and Boulac, (whereof this lies two miles to the N. E. the other at the same distance to the W.) should have formerly belonged to this city, (and indeed the many interjacent ruins seem to point out something of this kind), then Kairo would not have been inferior in extent to the metropolis of Great Britain. Buntingius makes it to have the same dimensions with the ancient Nineveh, or to be sixty miles in circuit; equal to three days journey, according to the prophet Jonas, iii. 3. + This well consists of two stages, being in all about fortyfour fathom deep. The upper stage is sixteen feet broad one way, and twenty-four the other. The water, which is brackish, is drawn up in the Persian wheel by oxen. they pretend likewise to shew us, is supposed to have been the founder. But the well was probably contrived by the Babylonians, when they first built the castle, as both of them are ascribed (the rebuilding of this rather) to Salah Oddin Joseph Ebn Job, by Abdol Caliph, in his History of Egypt, p. 85. Over against Kairo, on the Libyan banks of the Nile, is the village Geeza, where we shall endeavour to prove, that Memphis was formerly situated; though at present it is entirely buried in soil. Twelve miles further, in the same direction, are the pyramids, erected upon that ridge of the Libyan mountains which bounds the inundation of the Nile to the westward. The castle of Kairo has the like mountainous situation on the Asiatic side of the river; and, in this manner, the Nile is confined, for the space of two hundred leagues, quite up to the cataracts, a long chain of eminences, sometimes at four, sometimes at five or six leagues distance, constantly bounding the inundation on each side. Such in general is the plan, such likewise is the extent of the Land of Egypt. As for this Land of Goshen which lay contiguous to it, or, in the Scripture phrase, was near it, it will be described when we treat of Arabia. CHAP CHAPTER IV. The ancient Situation of Memphis further inquired into and considered. A LATE curious traveller has endeavoured to prove, that the ancient city Memphis was not situated at Geeza, where it has commonly been placed, but at Metraheny or Mohanan, several miles further to the southward. 'What fixes,' says he, Descript. of the East, vol. i. p. 41. the ⚫ situation of Memphis to this part, is Pliny's account, who says, 1. xxxvi. c. 12. that the pyramids were between Memphis and the Delta.' But in answer to this, it may be remarked, that the same Pliny acquaints us in another place, (1. v. c. 9.) that the pyramids lay betwixt Memphis and the Arsinoite Nomos, and consequently must be to the westward of Memphis; as they actually are, provided Geeza is the site of that ancient city. That this description of Pliny's is rather to be received than the former, appears from several geographical circumstances, taken as well from that author as from others. Diodorus Siculus (p. 45. § 50.) acquaints us, that Memphis was most |