Wilson, Robert Thomas: The British expedition to Egypt: carefully abridged in two parts (London, 1803)

into the stream, and the Arabs diving after the
money, are allowed to take away as much as
they can get. In the same moment the people
in thousands of boats rush into the canal, and
with the sound of vocal and many species of
instrumental music, join to express their joy
on the occasion.
The soil here is very rich, and needs but
- little cultivation, as the river overflows the
lands from three to six miles on each side of its
banks. These lakes, which near six months
appear like small seas, in and around the city,
gradually decrease till they are quite dry, but
then the grounds are laid out into gardens, mea-
dows, and ploughed fields, for the remainder
of the year, and are so fruitful, that the com
sown in them produces an increase of an hun-
dred fold. Besides these lakes, there are canals
in the city, especially at Elbequier, where most
of the Beys have their summer palaces ; each
of these palaces have their own canals, which
are called by the natives, birket, and on these
birkets there are many barges and several other
pleasure boats, for the use of the grandees and
their domestics.
The banks of the Nile are thickly planted
with sugar canes, especially on the isle of Delta,
where the crocodiles often conceal themselves ;
but the Arabs are. well guarded against them,
as they never go out without having a strong
stick or spear, with a sharp and pointed lance
at the end of it.
The Arabs also hunt the crocodiles merely
for their skin, which thay sell to the shield