DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0066
66 COTTON FIELD.
uniform filthiness, found in all of them, renders them
odious and repulsive. Approaching the village of
Mitnameh, we passed a large cotton-field. This
was the first cotton I had seen growing in Egypt.
From the appearance of this, I should judge that
Egypt is well adapted to the growth of that article.
We passed many luxuriant fields of sugar-cane near
this village, and further on our way. In the same
vicinity was an immense brick kiln burning, and an-
other building. A large number of hands were engaged
carrying bricks to the kiln, from every part of an im-
mense yard. The bricks were carried on their heads
in baskets, and the carriers sung as they went, much
as I have heard southern slaves when at their field-
labor.
When we arrived at this village, I was surprised to
see the immense quantity of corn that lay piled in the
ear, recently husked. I examined and found it much
like our Indian corn. It was of a white color, and
the ears rather small. At this place the two large
pyramids of Gizah were plain in view, rearing their
lofty tops in solitary grandeur. They seemed but a
few miles distant, when in reality we were more than
twenty miles from them.
Between four and five o'clock, we crossed the
Darnietta branch of the Nile, at the village of Metal-
pheh. Our two camels with their loads, one horse,
three donkeys and nine men, were all crowded into a
keel boat of rather small dimensions for such a load.
With no little apprehension of danger, we however
crossed and made a safe landing. At this village we
purchased a few oranges, some pressed dates, and a
uniform filthiness, found in all of them, renders them
odious and repulsive. Approaching the village of
Mitnameh, we passed a large cotton-field. This
was the first cotton I had seen growing in Egypt.
From the appearance of this, I should judge that
Egypt is well adapted to the growth of that article.
We passed many luxuriant fields of sugar-cane near
this village, and further on our way. In the same
vicinity was an immense brick kiln burning, and an-
other building. A large number of hands were engaged
carrying bricks to the kiln, from every part of an im-
mense yard. The bricks were carried on their heads
in baskets, and the carriers sung as they went, much
as I have heard southern slaves when at their field-
labor.
When we arrived at this village, I was surprised to
see the immense quantity of corn that lay piled in the
ear, recently husked. I examined and found it much
like our Indian corn. It was of a white color, and
the ears rather small. At this place the two large
pyramids of Gizah were plain in view, rearing their
lofty tops in solitary grandeur. They seemed but a
few miles distant, when in reality we were more than
twenty miles from them.
Between four and five o'clock, we crossed the
Darnietta branch of the Nile, at the village of Metal-
pheh. Our two camels with their loads, one horse,
three donkeys and nine men, were all crowded into a
keel boat of rather small dimensions for such a load.
With no little apprehension of danger, we however
crossed and made a safe landing. At this village we
purchased a few oranges, some pressed dates, and a