their industry--when they came to Egypt, settled at some subsequent period in the Fayoum as well as in Goshen; for it is said of the children of Israel after Joseph's death, that they "multiplied and waxed exceeding mighty, and the land was filled with them."

Indeed, Leo Africanus says, in his description of this locality,-"The ancient city was built by one of the Pharaohs on an elevated spot, near a small canal from the Nile, at the time of the exodus of the Jews, after he had afflicted them with the drudgery of hewing stones, and other laborious employments," thus establishing a connection between the Jews and the Fayoum; though I think there can be no doubt that the ancient city, the remains of which still strew the neighbourhood, existed here long anterior to the period of the Jewish exodus.

Before, however, entering upon a description of the antiquities of the Fayoum, it may be interesting to note the modern aspect of the province and its capital. There can be no doubt that in ancient days the cultivable area of the oasis was much greater than it is at present, as the indications of a town and

irrigation works near the ruins of Kasr Kharoon, at the south-western extremity of the Birket el Kurûn, where it is now a desert, abundantly testify. At the present day it measures twenty-three miles north and south, and twenty-eight miles east and west. The town of Medinet el Fayoum is situated on a plateau which is about the same level as the Nile. From here the country trends rapidly to the Birket el Kurûn, which is, according to Linant, 94 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, thus falling about 170 feet in fifteen miles. The Birket el Kurûn is a lake of brackish water, about thirty-five miles long and seven broad; and into this drain fall the waters of the Bahr Youssef, after they have fertilised the whole area of the province. The result is, that the country is intersected by numerous more or less swiftly-running streams, which, cutting through the soft soil, often form little gorges of great beauty and luxuriance, as at the village of Fidimin, where they overflow their dams in cascades-a scenic feature unknown in any other part of Egypt. Where these dams exist there are often little lakes, embowered in palm-groves and gardens, thus

giving the Fayoum a pre-eminence, so far as beauty of landscape is concerned, over every other part of the country. Strabo was evidently much struck with the exceptional fertility and beauty of the Fayoum.

"The Arsinoite Nome," he says in his account of the Nomes of Egypt, "is the most remarkable of all, both on account of its scenery and its fertility and cultivation; for it alone is planted with large, perfect, and richly productive olive-trees-and the oil is good when carefully prepared. Those who are neglectful may, indeed, obtain oil in abundance, but it has a bad smell. In the rest of Egypt the olive - tree is never seen, except in the gardens of Alexandria, where, under favourable circumstances, they yield olives, but no oil. Vines, corn, podded plants, and many other products, also thrive in this district in no small abundance."

Ólive-oil seemed to hold an exceptionally high rank in the estimation of the old historian; but persons of other tastes will find here in the season a profusion of figs, oranges, apricots, and other fruits, which will equally justify the reputation of the province for pro

ductiveness. Twenty years ago its beauty was even greater than it is now. The gardens that had made it celebrated throughout Europe had latterly gradually been allowed to run waste, owing to the extreme severity of the taxation with which this province was afflicted during the régime of the late Khedive. The peasants were thus impoverished to such an extent that the province stood a fair chance of being ruined, and its fertility of being destroyed, when the change of government took place under which it has begun to prosper with surprising rapidity. Unfortunately, one of its main and most attractive staples of industry has disappeared; through no fault, however, of the Government. Fifteen years ago Medinet was surrounded by fields of roses, covering hundreds of acres; and the inhabitants drove a profitable trade by the sale of attar of roses. During the rose season the town was the most fragrant residence in Egypt. Unfortunately, the rose-trees were attacked by a malady which has entirely ruined the industry; and although efforts have since been made to renew it, they have hitherto been without success. Sugar and

cotton are now the principal products of the province; and fields of beans, lentils, wheat, and other cereals stretch in all directions as far as the eye can reach.

According to tradition, the Arsinoite Nome contained in former days 366 towns and villages, which, even supposing its limits to have far exceeded those that now exist, seems an over-estimate. The present population is probably about 150,000 souls, of whom 9000 live in the chief town. This, after establishing ourselves in the quarters which had been kindly provided for us, we lost no time in exploring.

It is the habit of dragomans to lay in large supplies of food for the tourists they nurse in the East. As, however, we had carefully avoided providing ourselves with that functionary, and had decided to live upon the food of the country, with the aid of a single servant1 and our own culinary acquirements, it became important to discover what meat and vegetables were furnished by the bazaar. This consists of a long narrow street,

1 For the benefit of any of my readers who propose visiting Egypt, I cannot too highly recommend this man, whose name is Mohamet Achmet, as a servant. He is also qualified to act as a dragoman.