Now, lurking on thy sedgy shores,
The Crocodile his prey explores.
Hark! 'tis a virgin's shriek *-thy flood
She fought to color with her blood!

No arms the monster can appal-
Bounds from his scales th' unerring ball.
Lo! to avenge a mother's tears,

The Hippopotamus appears!

Now Death assumes his grimmest form,
Thy troubled surface owns the storm;
Like warring vessels, on they move
Their mortal rage and force to prove!

O! haste we from this conflict dire,
And to thy fairer scenes retire;
Where, swelling o'er thy native strand,
Thy waters fatten all the land;

Where on the wide expanse are seen
The tufted grove and island green:
The minaret, that tow'rs above,
The haram-prison gay of love!

As Pleasure, Commerce, spread the fail,
A thousand gallies catch the gale:
Their oars a thousand gallies ply,
Whose pomp refulgent strikes the eye.

* This alludes to a circumstance which happened just before the author came to the Nile, and which the reader will find in page 259 of this work. The frequent combats between the River-horse and Crocodile, in which the former is generally victorious, are too well known to need a comment.

Now

Now bear me down thy western arm,
Where Delta looks one cultur'd farm;
By ruin'd cities, nodding towers,
And hide me in Rosetto's bowers.

Hail shades! who give such charms to view,
As ne'er Alcinous' gardens knew;
While blossoms here their sweets unfold,
Bow'd is the tree with fruit of gold.

And thou fam'd stream! what tho' no more
The world's emporium as of yore;
Tho' grac'd not with the Roman name,
Thy realm contending factions claim:

A Pharaoh's daughter erst was thine,
Whom pity touch'd with cares divine,
As she the prophet chanc'd to note
While in his ozier-bark afloat.

Thou knew'st a Cleopatra's reign,
Who number'd victors in her train;
A Julius, led by glory's ray;
An Anthony-to love a prey!

A Ptolemy of learn'd renown,
And great Sesostris wore thy crown;
Thine, Memphis! crush'd by adverse fates,
And Thebes-that op'd an hundred gates!

And

Page

171 The wind & Dust had so affected our Sight that we wanderd on in agonyand Darkness 393 Cairo - Shave had an Epidemical Sickness which has raged here with great violence. and, I believe has extended to every European in the place.