240

FISH OF THE LAKE.

ference to human society.

Enormous flights of

aquatic birds-pelicans, wild ducks, gulls, petrels, and white ibises-were here seen, some rising, others lighting on the shores, or swimming on the lake. In the grass, almost under our feet, were numerous coveys of partridges; and, when we had reached the beach, both sight and smell were struck by prodigious numbers of dead fish, which having, as the natives afterwards informed us, recently perished through cold, had been driven on shore by a tempestuous north wind. The quantity was incredible, lining the shore in heaps as far as the eye could reach, as if a multitude of fishermen had just emptied their nets there. They were exceedingly varied in form and size some measuring nearly five feet in length, and of more than proportionate thickness, and of these many hundreds lay among the smaller fry upon the mud, while others were scarcely larger than a herring. In general the larger were closer to the water, the smaller, in many instances, having been carried by the waves twenty or thirty yards inland. The stench arising from so great a quantity of fish putrifying in the sun was almost insupportable, and must have communicated a pestilential quality to the atmosphere. Nevertheless, as soon as we found a practicable part of the beach, Monro, impatient of the heat, bathed in the lake; while I contented myself with tasting the water, and strolling along the shore. Whatever may be the depth towards the middle, the water is extremely shallow near the land; it being necessary, on this part of the coast, to advance

several hundred yards before sufficient water to swim in can be found; and the bottom, in most places, consisting of a soft mud, such as is everywhere deposited by the Nile, it is by no means adapted for bathing. I found the water of a brackish taste; not to the degree mentioned by Pococke, who thought it "almost as salt as the sea; " but quite enough to render it disagreeable, though not undrinkable. As far as we proceeded, which may perhaps have been about two miles, the quantity of fish upon the beach continued undiminished; so that the account furnished by the priests to Herodotus of the value of the fisheries of Lake Maris does not seem to have been exaggerated; for, judging by appearances, they would furnish food to half Egypt. All this part of the shore is adorned with slender tamarisk bushes, covered, in many cases, with red catkins, like the willow, which, drooping and waving over the water, rendered

* Diodorus Siculus observes, that twenty-two different sorts of fish are found in this lake. Though we did not count the several species now lying on the shore, I make no doubt they exceeded this number; for there are twenty-nine kinds of fish in the Lake of Geneva, which is infinitely less pisculent than that of Moris. The revenues derived by the ancient kings of Egypt from the fisheries were very considerable. "The fishery here carried on, says Herodotus, furnishes the royal treasury with a talent of silver every day; but as soon as the Nile begins to pour its waters into the lake, it produces no more than twenty minæ." Euterpe, cxlix. Elsewhere he observes, that the Nile flowed into the lake during six months. Estimating, therefore, the produce of the lake at a talent per day for the first six months, we have 35,3591. 7s. 6d.; and for the remaining six, 13,0797. 3s. 4d. or 48,438/. 10s. 10d. per annum. At present the fisheries of the lake and the Bahr Youssouff are farmed at 500 purses per annum; or about 40007. Sterling.

242

RETURN TOWARDS SANHOOR.

the beach highly beautiful. The boat that formerly conveyed persons to the opposite shore of the lake had long been destroyed; but an Arab, who lived some leagues further to the west, was said still to possess a small bark, which might easily be hired. In the present state of the country, however, covered with marauding Moggrebyns and rebel camps, it was judged unsafe to quit the camels and baggage; and we had very soon reason to congratulate ourselves on our determination.

DLVI. Having remained some time on the beach, we were joined by our guides and attendants, who had been left with the camels, and now appeared uneasy at our delay. As, however, they avoided stating any reasons, we paid little attention to their disquietude, which might arise from mere impatience; but at length, observing that the day was far spent, and no new object of curiosity presenting itself, we quitted the lake, and began to retrace our steps towards Sanhoor. To the left were many Bedouin encampments, near which several troops of cavalry had been seen passing to and fro during the day; nevertheless, as they had hitherto abstained from offering us any molestation, we began to imagine that it might, after all, be possible to effect our retreat out of the province without meeting with any difficulty. We had not, however, proceeded above a mile, before a small body of horse, armed with muskets and lances, issuing from among the date woods, made towards us

A PARLEY WITH THE MOGGREBYNS.

243

at full gallop. Our Mahazi guide, who first perceived them, without exhibiting the slightest sign of trepidation, though quite unarmed, requested us to ride close together, trotting on as if we saw them not, but keeping our fire-arms in our hands, cocked ready for action. My dromedary being a female, big with young, and greatly fatigued by the violent manner in which we had travelled, now lagged in the rear; so that, had not Monro slackened his pace, to allow me time to come up, I might have been easily cut off from the rest of the party. When the Moggrebyns had approached to within a few hundred yards of our course, two horsemen, detached from the main body, advanced to question us, the remainder halting where they were. Galloping at full speed, they called aloud, on coming within hearing, that the Pasha's government being at an end, the Bedouins were now lords of Egypt, and that as, no doubt, we were partisans of the Pasha, they should make war upon and destroy us. The guides who had joined us at Sanhoor, either taking no interest in our fate, or reckoning on sharing the spoil should we be speared by the enemy, walked doggedly along without uttering a word; but the youth from Senooris, after beating my dromedary into a trot, remained behind, in order to confer with our pursuers. At first they insisted we belonged to the Pasha's service, and had been sent by that cunning despot to observe their movements and numbers, that he might know how and with what force to attack them, in the vain hope of recovering

244

RESPECT FOR THE ENGLISH.

possession of the province; and that, therefore, they could not, without betraying their own cause, allow us to return in safety to Cairo. To this our guide made answer, that we were mere travellers, whose sole business it was to run about the world, measuring the length and breadth of rivers, and the circumference of seas; observing the buildings which ancient nations had left behind them; and inquiring into what every man ate and drank; that, in short, we were Englishmen, who had never been known, like other Franks, to make war upon or kidnap the natives for the Pasha. The men of Sanhoor now joining in this representation, they were at length convinced we were Englishmen; who, thank God! seem to be every where respected for their honour and integrity. Relinquishing, therefore, their hostile design, they suffered us to proceed on our way in peace.

DLVII. From the borders of the lake to Medinet el Fayoom, is between twelve and thirteen miles; and the day already drawing towards its close, we at first entertained the intention of passing the night at Sanhoor. But the inhabitants being in league with the Arabs of the desert, a different party of whom might arrive in the village,-where the Pasha possessed not a single soldier, perhaps not a single partisan, — and quietly cut us off during the night. To advance, after dark, was likewise hazardous; for, our camels being nearly knocked up, and the roads intricate and intersected by canals, should our guide fail us, we might be left to wander all night through a country