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"Isaac," he says, "was circumcised on the eighth day; and from that time the Jews continue the custom of circumcising their children within that number of days. But as for the Arabians, they circumcise after the thirteenth year, because Ishmael, the founder of their nation, who was born to Abraham of the concubine, was circumcised at that age."

The instrument used in this operation, as well as in embalming, was an Ethiopian stone; I have seen this stone represented in sepulchral paintings in the temples; and also the original found at Thebes, in the possession of Mr. Salt.

What I intended to make the subject of this letter, namely, a few facts connected with the natural history of the country, I must reserve for my next letter; till then

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LETTER XXVI.

TO JOSHUA BROOKES, ESQ.

MY DEAR SIR,

Thebes, August 7, 1826.

I HAVE already informed you that you were not to expect any thing like arrangement in the account I promised to give you, connected with the few cursory observations I had an opportunity of making on such animals as are to be found in the vicinity of the Nile.

About one hundred miles above Cairo I saw the first crocodile; after passing Siout these animals were very numerous on the sand banks of the Nile, and my only amusement for fifteen days was shooting at them. I had not the good fortune to kill one the entire voyage, though I frequently saw the balls gliding off their scaly backs into the water. Near Thebes I purchased a small one from the

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Arabs, which was about six feet long. Their length

varies from twelve to thirty feet. I got a small portion of this crocodile boiled, to ascertain its taste; the flavour a good deal resembled that of a lobster, and though somewhat tougher, it might certainly be considered very excellent food. I am astonished that the Arabs, who can eat snails, locusts, land tortoises, and camels' flesh, should reject that of the crocodile. The female takes three or four days to deposit her eggs in the sand; the number varies from fifteen to forty-five. Sir Thomas Herbert says sixty, and that the animal has sixty teeth, sixty vertebræ, and lives sixty years. The most striking peculiarity in the crocodile is its digestion; in the one I dissected, I found several pebbles in the stomach: the rectum was situated close to the lower orifice of the stomach, but this passage is remarkably small for the size of the animal; and the Arabs assert that it always leaves the water to eject the contents of the intestines. I believe there is some truth in this statement. On each side of the fore shoulder I found a follicle containing musk, or at least a substance which does not differ from it in smell; one weighed two drams, the

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other something less. This, in Cairo, fetches a large price, being used as an ingredient for madjoun powder. It takes two months to bring the eggs to maturity; and when they are deposited, they are about the size of those of a small goose.

Our boatmen were constantly in the river dragging the boat, and in those parts where the crocodiles abound most, yet no accident occurred; in all our route I only heard of one little girl being drawn into the river, off the bank, some months ago indeed the Arabs say that a crocodile cannot seize its prey in the water.

Hasselquist and most modern authors think the crocodile is the leviathan of the Scriptures, " Can a man draw up the leviathan?" says Job, and answers it in the negative; and on this Hasselquist remarks, that "this animal, the crocodile, has the power of destroying the hooks and other instruments of fishermen." Now Herodotus describes the method of catching the crocodile by a hook; so that, if this be true, the crocodile cannot be the leviathan of Job.

The chameleon, which is another of the lacerta species, I have latterly examined a good

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THE CHAMELEON.

deal I had one which lived for three months, another two months, and several which I gave away, after keeping them ten days or a fortnight. Of all the irascible little animals in the world, there are none so choleric as the chameleon. I trained two large ones to fight, and could at any time, by knocking their tails against one another, ensure a combat; during which their change of colour was most conspicuous. This change is only effected by paroxysms of rage, when the dark green gall of the animal is transmitted into the blood, and is visible enough under its pellucid skin. The gall, as it enters and leaves the circulation, affords the three various shades of green which are observable in its colour.

The story of the chameleon assuming whatever colour is near it, is, like that of its living upon air, a fable. It is extremely voracious: I had one so tame, that I could place it on a piece of stick, opposite a window; and in the course of ten minutes, I have seen it devour half a dozen flies. Its mode of catching them is very singular : the tongue is a thin cartilaginous dart, anchor

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