in ranean as far as Marfeilles, her carthamus flowers, with which the people of Provence annually load feveral fhips, her fal-ammoniac, tranfported through all Egypt, her abundant fouda, her excellent flax, efteemed by the Italians, her blue cloths, that cloath part the neighbouring nations, all are objects that will make the balance of trade in her favour. The Abyffinians bring her gold duft, elephants teeth, and other precious commodities, which they exchange for her productions. The cloths, lead, arms, and fome gold lace from Lyons, which French ships bring, do not equal what they receive; they pay the balance in Turkish piastres. The copper kitchen furniture, and furs, which the Turks fend to Alexandria, are far below the amount of the corn, rice, lentils, coffee, and perfumes they take back; most of which are paid for in ready money. Except Moka and Mecca, where the Egyptians annually leave a great part of their fequins, all who trade with them bring them filver and gold. So plentiful are these metals that Ali Bey, flying to Syria, carried with him three million and a half sterling; and Ifmael Bey, efcaping, fome years years after, loaded fifty camels with fequins, patacas (k), pearls, and jewellery. If, deftitute of fhipping and manufactures, and reduced to the fole advantages of its foil, Egypt is still fo wealthy, imagine, Sir, what the might be, governed by an enlightened people. What cloths might be fabricated from her fine wool, what linen from her flax, what muslins from the two fpecies of cotton the produces, the one annual the other perennial; what filks from the worm, which, here, if introduced, would thrive fo well in a climate that has neither rain nor tempefts; what an influx of profperity from opening her canals, repairing her mounds, and restoring to agriculture a third of the grounds buried under the fands; what wealth. from opening her mines of emeralds, famous for almost equalling the diamond in duration; and from the granite, the porphyry, and the alabafter, which many of her mountains contain! With what utility might her indigo, carthamus, and other fubstances, excellent for dying, scattered through her deferts, be employed! Thefe, Sir, are not (4) A filver coin, worth five fhillings. chimerical chimerical riches; Egypt has poffeffed them for ages and a wife adminiftration would reftore all the prolific treafures of nature. Thus, Sir, have I given an abstract of the viciffitudes of commerce, from the remotest to the prefent times; and the fplendor it once enjoyed muft imprefs the mind wirh vaft ideas of what it might be come. I have the honor to be, &c. LETTER LETTER XVII. ON THE ANCIENT WORSHIP OF THE EGYPTIANS, AND, PARTICULARLY, ON ATHOR, ONE OF THEIR DEITIES. Athor, or Night, according to the Egyptian priests, was the Symbol of the darkness of Chaos, before the creation, of which, animated by the breath of the Almighty, the world was formed. They afterwards held the moon to be a type of this darkness, and introduced its worship. This idea they still farther extended to winter and fummer. To M. L. M. Grand Cairo. RELIGION and Man were born together; he, placed on a globe where experience daily taught him his own feeblenefs, fought protectors from furrounding dangers; and fhe was the daughter of want and gratitude. Before he was bleffed by revelation, objects which aftonished, from which he re ceived the greatest benefits, or dreaded most, by turns, attracted veneration. feas, ftorms, and the fun, he prayers, and erected his altars. To rivers, addreffed his The lefs he knew of the phænomena of nature, the more he believed in hidden powers. All nations have adored, under different names, invifible fpirits, either praying for protection, or deprecating wrath. Men enlightened by fublime philofophy, only, can behold him who prefides over the univerfe, or fuppofe a plurality of Gods abfurd. Yet am I perfuaded writers, either prejudiced or superficial, have calumniated nations; by pretending they worship infenfible stone, or despicable animals. The fculptured marble and the confecrated ox were but emblems of the deities they adored; as the statues, and images, in our temples, are but the symbols of faints, or God. Since the iflanders of Otaheite, where civilization fcarcely has begun, regard the bananas, and animals, within their Morais, but as offetings to their Eatooa (1), why should we infift that the Egyptians wor (1) Invisible deities. Cook's Voyage. shipped |