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ISLAND OF BIGGÉ.

CCCCII. In the afternoon we passed over to the neighbouring island of Biggé, where there also exist a few small and insignificant remains of antiquity. A Nubian family, of which the Queen of Philæ appears to be a member, inhabits this island, where they lead a life of great seclusion and poverty. It was among them, however, that I saw the prettiest and cleanest Nubian woman whom I noticed during my travels. She was the wife of the master of the island, and had an infant in her arms; a large healthy child, with fine eyes, and a lighter complexion than usual. Poverty did not seem to interfere with their happiness, their looks and whole manner exhibiting an air of affection not to be put on for show even by greater adepts in dissimulation than they could be supposed to be; and their scanty domains were carefully cultivated. Selyma, who seemed to regard us as her subjects, no sooner saw our kandjia turn the northern point of Philæ, and make for Biggé, than she threw herself into the Nile, and swam across, to observe our movements. This is their ordinary mode of passing to and fro. have any thing to carry, a palm branch is placed under the breast, as a kind of float, which, from their extraordinary style of swimming, is easily kept in its position, and does not seem to hurt even the women. In their cottage there is a kind of altar, or cippus, which they use as a stand for their culinary utensils. Returning to Phile, we found in the ruins a number of soldiers and young negresses, who appeared to feel

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a much deeper interest in what they saw, than the monks whom Belzoni met at Thebes. Departing, at length, however, they left us in peaceable possession of the island for the remainder of the evening.

NOTES.

THE LAZZERETTO OF ALEXANDRIA.

[For the following account of the Lazzeretto, I am indebted to my friend the Rev. Vere Monro, who, though he does not choose to dwell seriously on his own personal sufferings, experienced much ill-treatment and neglect during his confinement, and very narrowly escaped with his life.]

October 13. 1832.

AFTER a passage of six days from Syra, with light and varying winds, we made the low sandy shore of Egypt; but as the brig stood for the old port, a boat put off to demand the papers, containing the harbour master's myrmidons, together with an agent of the house to which she belonged. The language of these people was a mixture of broken Italian and Arabic, scarcely any part of which could be interpreted by the aid of pure Italian alone. Having touched at Constantinople, where the plague was thinning the population to a fearful extent, the brig was ordered to the new port for quarantine. This is on the east side of the town, and being very much exposed to the eastward, and containing little deep water, affords very insecure anchorage even for vessels of small burthen. Our ship was daily visited by some one of her owners, who gave different accounts of the probable term of our durance; some assigning twenty, others forty, days; but nothing certain could be known until after the weekly meeting of the commissioners; for the Pasha had intrusted the enactment of all quarantine regulations to the hands of

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five European Consuls, viz. the British, Russian, French, Austrian, and Neapolitan, with full powers to act according to prejudice or discretion: and in the case of the French brig Cléopâtre, in which I unfortunately arrived, they seem to have followed the dictates of the former; for, in consequence of an Austrian merchantmen from Constantinople having begun to unload his freight without first declaring himself foul with plague, the gentlemen of the commission were said to have determined that all vessels which might afterwards arrive from the same port should find no mercy. Of the Austrian's crew, the captain alone survived, the sailors having all at last fallen a sacrifice to the pestilence. Upon finding that our ship could not land the wool with which she was freighted, because there was no place yet built to receive it, I petitioned to be removed to the Lazzeretto, that my term of quarantine might commence immediately. To this request the British Consul replied, that there was at present no accommodation, and he hoped the demand would not be urged further. On the fifth or sixth day after our arrival, I became unwell; and, finding fever and weakness daily growing upon me, renewed my request to the Consul. On the ninth day, the ship having begun to unload her cargo, I was laid upon the woolsacks in the launch, and carried to the Lazzeretto, which was situated at a distance of three miles from where the ship lay; and being unable to stand, the sailors deposited me on the sand, in a chamber or shed that had just risen into existence, constructed of boards, but not so closely united as to hinder the inmate from enjoying a prospect of all that passed without, or the wind from fanning him either mildly or mercilessly, according to its temper, which at this season varied extremely, for at times it was furious, bringing with it showers of sand or showers of rain; and the roof of the building, being of wood, was so considerately formed for the free entrée of the latter, that my mattress and bedding

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