I was the only person on board.
These vessels are long and narrow, and are fitted up with a cabin
and an awning. The cabin is divided into two little rooms; the
first and larger of these contains two little windows on each side.
The second and smaller one is often only six feet long by five
broad. The space under the awning is appropriated to the poorer
class of passengers and to the servants. It is necessary to take on
board, besides provisions, a little stove, wood for fuel, kitchen-
utensils and articles of this kind, a supply of water. The water of
the Nile is, indeed, very good and thoroughly tasteless, so that it
is universally drunk in Alexandria, Cairo, and elsewhere; but it is
very turbid and of a yellowish colour, so that it must be filtered
to render it clear and pure. Thus it happens that even on the river
we are obliged to take water with us.

Handsome country-houses with gardens skirt the sides of the canal;
the finest of these belongs to a pacha, the son-in-law of Mehemet
Ali. As we passed this palace I saw the Egyptian Napoleon for the
first time; he is a very little old man, with a long snow-white
beard; his eyes and his gestures are very animated. Several
Europeans stood around him, and a number of servants, some of them
clothed in Greek, others in Turkish costume. In the avenue his
carriage was waiting, a splendid double-seated vehicle, with four
beautiful horses, harnessed in the English style. The Franks are
favourably disposed towards this despot, whose subjects cherish a
very opposite feeling. His government is very lenient to
Christians, while the Mussulmen are obliged to bend their necks
beneath a yoke of iron slavery.

This view of villas and gardens only lasts for two hours at the
most. Afterwards we continue our journey to Atfe through a very
uniform and unsatisfactory region of sandy hills and plains. On the
right we pass the Mariotic Sea; and on both sides lie villages of a
very wretched appearance.

August 19th.

At eleven in the forenoon we reached Atfe, and had therefore
travelled about 180 sea-miles in sixteen hours. Atfe is a very
small town, or rather a mere heap of stones.

The landing-places were always the scenes of my chief troubles. It
was seldom that I could find a Frank, and was generally obliged to
address several of the bystanders before I succeeded in finding one
who could speak Italian and give me the information I required. I
requested to be taken a