Sonnini de Manoncourt, Charles Nicolas Sigisbert: Travels in upper and lower Egypt (Band 1) (London, 1807)

104 TRAVELS IN UPPER

matter for a moment's (bought. Turks, Arabians,
Barbaresques, Cophts, Christians of Syria, Jews,
constituted a population which may be estimated at
five thousand, as far as an estimation can be made
in a country where there is no register kept of any
thing. Commerce attracts thither besides, from all
the countries of the East, strangers whose residence
is extremely transient. This motley assemblage of
the men of different nations, jealous of, and almost
always hostile to each other, would present to the
eye of the observer a singular mixture of customs,
manners, and dress, if a resort of thieves and rob-
bers could repay the trouble of observation.

You see them crowd on each other in the streets,
running rather than walking : they likewise bawl
rather than speak. I have frequently stopped to
consider some persons who had all the appearance
of being agitated by violent rage : they gave to
their voice all the intensity which a broad and
brawny chest could supply ; their phjsiognomy
wore all the traits of passion ; their eyes sparkled ;
violent gestures accompanied modes of expression
which seemed still more violent. I approached
them underthe apprehension that they were going
instantly to cut each others throats, and was asto-
nished to learn that they were only driving some
petty bargain, that not a word was of a threatening
4 complexion;