hunger and laffitude; but, having bathed in the waters of the Nile, fed on the delicious fruits which grow on its banks, and recruited exhausted nature with the productions of the teeming fields it fertilizes, they felt a change, a renovation, a happiness, the inexpreffible delight of which the traveller, only, who has croffed these deserts, can imagine.

A difafter, which has lately happened, testifies the prudence of M. Chevalier's conduct. About the fame time that he departed from Coffeir, a rich caravan, the lading of which appertained to the English, was attacked between Suez and Grand Cairo. Several Europeans were prefent; but, to avoid the labour of carrying their arms, they had tied them on the backs of the camels; befides which, they marched at a distance from each other, and without precaution, depending upon the affurances of the Beys, which occafioned their ruin. The Bedouins fell unexpectedly upon them, without giving them time to put themselves on the defensive, feized their wealth, and killed many of them. M. de St. Germain had the misfortune to lofe a beloved brother, and two-thirds of his

fortune,

fortune, in this fatal rencontre. After wandering three days and nights in that barren wilderness, naked, without food, without water, and almoft without hope, he arrived, half dead, at the hut of an Arab, who washed him with fresh water, fed him with milk, cloathed, and conducted him to Grand Cairo, I had this relation from his own mouth he is now on his return to France, where, probably, his misfortunes will intereft and incite the compaffion of govern

ment.

The inconveniences of the road from Coffeir are not fo great during winter; the heats being much lefs. The fear of robbers is then the greatest obstacle; but, if travellers go in a body, a body, they may fecure themselves from their attacks. Even during fummer, if proper care be taken to have a fupply of provifions and water, in jars, or skins, not rubbed with rancid oil, people who are accuftomed to these climates perform this jourpey with tolerable eafe. Did the four-andtwenty tyrants, who devour the riches of Egypt, think but a moment on the happiness of the inhabitants, they would cause three public edifices to be built, where the

caravans

caravans might find reft and refreshment; but their whole ambition is the unbounded gratification of their paflions, a reign of a few days, and the mutual deftruction of each other. In the short space of three years, I have beheld eleven pafs from the excefs of voluptuoufnefs to the grave; perifhing by the fword of their rivals, whom a fimilar fate attends. A ftill greater number have escaped by flight. What then have agriculture and commerce to expect under fuch a government? Were Egypt fubjected by an enlightened people, the route to Coffeir would be fafe and commodious. I even fuppofe it poffible to turn an arm of the Nile into this deep valley, over which the fea formerly flowed. Such a canal appears not more difficult than that which Amrou cut between Foftat and Colfoum, and would be much more advantageous, fince it would abridge the voyage of the Indian shipping a hundred leagues, and through a perilous ocean, across the farther and narrow part of the Red Sea. The cloths of Bengal, the perfumes of Yemen, and the gold duft of Abyffinia, would foon be feen at Coffeir; and the corn, linen, and various

productions

productions of Egypt, given in return. A nation friendly to the arts, would foon render this fine country once more the centre of the commerce of the world, the point which should unite Europe to Afia. While one part of the shipping were navigating the Arabian Gulph, and failing to India, another would fwarm upon the Mediterranean sea, and Alexandria should again revive from its afhes. An obfervatory, built where the sky is always ferene, would likewife add to the progrefs of aftronomy; and this happy country fhould a fecond time become the abode of the fciences, and the most delicious the carth contains. Thefe, Sir, are not chimerical projects. The fituation of Egypt is the most advantageous man can imagine: it communicates with the eastern and the western

ocean. Nature has been profufely kind; nor is any thing wanting, but a people worthy to inhabit it, in order to raise it to the highest degree of power and glory.

LETTER

A defeription of Thebes from Diodorus Siculus and Strabo. State of that city under the Perfians, Roman and Turkish Emperors. The porticos, Sphinx-avenues, edifices, and ruins of the great temple, near Carnac, in the eastern part of Thebes, which building and ruins are half a league in circumference. The plain of Carnac, leading to Luxor, which formerly was covered with boufes, cultivated at prefent. The remains of the temple of Luxor, and the magnificent obelifks, which are the most beautiful in Egypt, or the whole world, defcribed.

Grand Cairo.

GOING from Cous towards Affouan, we leave the town of Nequada on the right. The Mahometans have feveral mofques, and a Coptic bishop refides there. The island of Matara is very near it, and two leagues further we difcover the ruins of Thebes, the magnificence

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