r of the town, who lends any thing of the kind, but at
an enormously high rate. Diet must be obtained in the same way. In
the quarantine establishment there is no host, every thing must be
procured from without. An innkeeper generally demands between
thirty and forty piastres per diem for dinner and supper. This I
considered a little too exorbitant, and therefore ordered a few
articles of food through one of the keepers. He promised to provide
every thing punctually; but I fear he cannot have understood me, for
I waited in vain, and during the whole of the first day had nothing
to eat. On the second day my appetite was quite ravenous, and I did
not know what to do. I betook myself to the room of the Arab family
who had come in the same ship with me, and were therefore also in
quarantine; I asked for a piece of bread, for which I offered to pay
but the kind woman not only gave me bread, but pressed upon me a
share of all the provisions she was preparing for her family, and
would not be prevailed upon to accept any remuneration; on the
contrary, she explained to me by signs that I was to come to her
whenever I wanted any thing.

It was not until the evening of the second day that, perceiving it
was hopeless to expect any thing from my stupid messenger, I applied
to the chief superintendent of the hospital, who came every evening
at sunset to examine us and to lock us in our rooms. I ordered my
provisions of him, and from this time forward always received them
in proper time.

The keepers were all Arabs, and not one of them could understand or
speak any language but their own; this is also a truly Egyptian
arrangement. I think that in an establishment of this kind, where
travellers from all parts of the world are assembled, it would at
least be advisable to have a person who understands Italian, even if
he cannot speak it. An individual of this kind could easily be
obtained; for Italian, as I afterwards found, is such a well-known
language throughout the East, but particularly at Alexandria and
Cairo, that many people are to be met with, even among the lowest
classes, who understand and can speak it.

The supply of water is also very badly managed. Every morning,
immediately after sunrise, a few skins of water are brought for the
purpose of cleaning the cooking utensils; at nine o'clock in the
morning and five in the afternoon a few camels come laden with skins
of fresh water, which are emptied into two ston