The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-09 00:00:00

city of Cairo hail lust a great many inhabitants the same
year, by the plague. When the alloy arrived at Cairo and
united ails the Grand Vizier'• army, many of the graves in
which the inhabitants had been hinted who hail died of the
p13:11C, were opened, and the bodies stripped of their eloth•
with which the Turks covered themselves. and yet
whine of either the British or Torkiah armies was infected
with the plague. The disorder erased 'whines, the loth
sad 9.411 t of Jese. at the precise time when its co nation
had been anti, 'paled and anowed loy the tiohabitatin,
except at Aboukir, where it conttpued tto exist soon tone
longer. It was also affirmed In us by the rreaeli officer.,
that although the plate had razed to ('airs that ,tsar
with very gnat violence, soul canietl off some of the Freud,
army. yet isoloillistanding a constant rommunication
was held between the garrienn stationed in the citadel and
the ioilisiiissuts of the town, the soldiers its the citadel were
not affected, in any one instance, with the disorder. Any
thousands of the inhabitants of Lower Egypt hail ilie Lihat
year of the plague. The India', army. passing through
Upper f opt, bad traversed a country its which shoot sixty
Itionsand inhabitants were said to Istyr wriihnit whole
szes haying Wyss destroyed ; but yet the troops of that army
brought so hlreltiion with them, nor wire ally ono.. ohms
adopted to prevent contagion on their junction wills the
British European army. 'no att.! eircumnaotros I was sny.
self an eye-witness. I would with also to stale, that as we
none,' through the country, the inhabitants powers' out tat
us particular villages that were infected with Wagon-, and
winch plague did not extend out of those particular vit.
'ages to any of the contiguous villages, although there was
no precaution whatever used as to the rommumicat ion with
the inhabitants of the infected villages. Conversing with
Dr. Desegnettes, the Chief Physicists of the retoldh army, and
M. Aesilini, the Head Surgeon of. the Ereorli %limy, they
assured me, that whenever a battalion infected with the
plague had been marched nut of the tufectril phhre, that the
soldiers recovered and never conveted the infection to other
garrisons; and that troops man Wog into that infected gar-
rison which hail been vacated, did out become themselves
inferted, unless they remained there longer 'bait eight or
leis days. And M. Assilini further assures' one, that several
French officers and roliliowe. who bail the placer. hail re-
moved themselves, •or been removed, whets sick of the
plague, iato other places, they had almost always recovered.
Hat he said his great diflienty was in purimatliog the people
to make the exerting' of movement ; fur they were generally
so enervated that they preferred to remain where they were
nod meet their fate.
What is the inference von draw from these hen, gene.
rally?—l should he very unwilling to stale any positive in-
(entice; but in my own opi .. i, on 1 think the plague is a
fever originating its a particular state of the atmosphere,
produced from local eaoses and confined to their influence.
Have you any idea of those causes?-1 shwild suppose it
must arise from a putrid state of the atmosphere; because
those villages which were ittfeeted, were stated by the inha-
bitants to be genenolty those where epee moil had been left
longest, and the moisture only, after consileralole stagna-
tion, had been absorbed. The Nile annimily overflows all
the inbabited lasd with a hotly of water four or five feet in
depth, and charged with a very rich mud, which it deposits.
After 'levers' months, when the Nile falls, the water, in a
comparative pure slate, is carried tiff the land by canals,
which at a prescribed season, are opened for that plumose.
As the sun gains power, the moisture of the mud which
has been left is absorbed, until the mud becomes quite dry
and brittle; the absorption is so great that the grimud is
steer all its surface broken by large fissures, sometimes
three or four feet in depth, and which render the passage for
horses extremely dangerous.
Is it a sandy mad?—No, it is a clayey mud; an extremely
rich mud, quite fat and greasy.
Then it appears from your testimony, that where the
greatest caution was exerted the plague &craned, and where
it was left to its chance it did not occur ?—Yes; the troope,
however, being is eoustant movement, except al intervals of
three or four days. And I should have no fear whatever of
going into ally plate infected with the plague, orovided 1
was suit obliged to stay there altogether during the plague
season.
Should you have any objection to touch a person infected
with the plague ?—No.
Did !on ever witch a person infected with the plague ?
No, not knowingly ; but about five years ago 1 wrist to
Ctuistantinople, and the plague had broken out there at three
time. 1 took no precaution soggiest it, and went through
thine parts of the kiwis which were affected by it. I never
felt any appreheinion ; nail I neither was infected myseif,
nor did 1 cumnionicate the disease to other persons.
Did you lose any men by the plague, at Alexandria and
Aboukir?—Yes.
Have you any idea of the number that were affected ?-1
should think, between the 14th Apt-linnet Orith August, ISOI,
about 400 were affected, not of which 173 died.
Were they natives of podia?—No; Europeans.
All of them ?Ail of them ; meienry was found on that
occasion to be the best remedy. Oils were tried, but mercury
was found to be the most efficacious.
Were any of the natives of India afflicted'-1 do not
know what happened to the Indian army/ as they passed
hack *through the country to India, but I know that none of
them were afflicted in the advance.
Yon hews by stating, that a very great destruction of
Turks had taken place the year before; do you consider
that the pulrefaetion of those 12,000 Turks conduce," to in.
feet the atmosphere ?—lt leniently made the state of the at.
mosphere much worse; but wills regard to power:legion. I
must inform the Committee, tiro bodies do not corrupt there
as ihey tin in Europe. The !mend is so very salt, sad the
air so extremely rarified, that ilo/11.11 lICCOMP rather put.
ionized. When we came to the place where the remains of
those Turks were, we form) the scalps of many, with the
hair on them, and parts of their clothes; and though we
might look ow it as a place of infection, I cauunt say that
there was any putrefaction there, ;n the general sense of that
term, when applied to the deconsogoeitioto of bodies. 1 have
seen bother lying
.011 the surface for months, but from the
heat of the sun they lie almost in a mummy state.
Moisture is erstonite,for putrefactigosi?—Certainty ; and
there is a very heavy slew at nhld ; bet the ground is swo
strongly impregnated witleealt, that 1 presume the effect of
that moisture is enuosteracteil.
Was there no smell in this place?—Yes; list ground. had
an offensive smell ; lint she sand in that country, over which
the Nile sloes not flow, haul also generally a peculiar sickly
smell ; however, that place had, ill our 11011111)11, a remark-
ably offensive smell, its addition to the natural disagreeable
morn of the sand. No use hail any wish to have any com-
munication with the spot; but there being a fort on That
polies, we were obliged to have commonienti tttt with it, moil
all the boats were at first obliged to come there.
How far is Aboukir from Alexandria ?—Abuat eight or
ten miles. Whether right or wrong, Ido nut know, hut we
always aseellsed the plague at Aboukir to the slate of the
atmosphere, (occasioned by the pervious ilecoompootiti tttt
of
email bodies, because every possible precaution haul been
taken to prevent the infection by communication. The camp
,was is fact in a stale of qisarautiow, in cosaeopienee of the
precaution, takes.
You have stated, that the French officers thong
their
garrison at Cairo had sever been nattiest that year in Ike
citadel; are you aware that they took any precaution in
prevent it ?-1 know there were none takeu; the cited. I
contained a vsey small portion of the garrison, peshsps wily
twelve hundred men. There was an army is the city Ow
cludiug followers) of near thirty t Wormed ; and the common
niemisogi of the soldiers of the morrisou with thine its the
lowa was CONIII4OI. Some of the Freud& soldiers Or the city
'lied; bin the French soldiers themselves felt a perfect COVIG.
deuce, provided they slid not remaill malionar7 ill *B7 Car-
ina' in which the plagese Whal makes lhe Pbesw-
mesa of this disorder store remarkable is, that the villages
are insisted, and built on parallel lines, not more than 500
yards meander; mead though six or seven of those villages in

SIXTH REPORT.

_:

one dinriet may he effected with the plague : and though ,-(the greatest ruble: iseloy in have them apes dey cal .1.. I
the inhalsoautit of those infected villages ronstnutly Imo • into execution by the aliffr rent Trusts. Fur tie. purpose no
threneh sating.. not osfi•eterl, oe their mole Ise
the Nile ; wails wen, in be sae RI a. tame *ewes the poster of lewroo•
eet. tI eh there is no' i daily i r 1141 r meniea• ' iim Exelwenee Rite atforele, after the example of the St.
tete. the infection will rernein iii Ile. village. where it broke • All ails and Wolverhamomn Trains; and the, eh.. it a.,.1
not, asset eel extend inferno,' shrine" the shellacs.
14 M. A1.411i111 a very. i lever nem I—Yes, a very clever , I:l:7elill:l7:fcurniaa.lllY(l7l7fil'upel 7fweiaar,tflieleacighreTatit:sht shallt."flLan'rkr%4
man. whatever sons it may require fur the imports meet of its (two
,-,,, district.
The parts of the enrol which spree,- to your Committee
ROAD FROM LON nos To HOLTIfEAD. so lb.• sea the ours' elate, emit to slag den need of enameller-
able inimovemente. are—lei. The High:ode Archway Roe 1
(rURNPIKE TnUaTejs
—2,1. 'I lee fload form Hadley Pillar to Culaey —dd. The
: Road fume elockliffe to Fenny Stratford.—seep. The whole
' Ro-od from TtokreFief la I)inicleitich.-511s. The Road (roe,
-- ' Duitehrireli so Coventry.—ti.h. The Road front Meriden hi
The Select Cammiltee eppoiiihel to inqeire into the elate of Sheen, ulge.-71b. The Road hem the Wing.; to Boustinga's.
lie roof from 1.4111.1011 In ll to IyII.. n , I liy edwristry and • —Sib. fleece! Hill,
Sher...hay ; ithes ihe reaulationa for the cenvesalice of ' Atil al, ;mow Committee titre made a elininet Repot s.
les Majesty's mail between latiolon and Duldiii, and be. ' Bien Soiiii itils. on the •tate of the road through North laa's-
I ween faverpiesl and Midis,, mid frees thence tithing!' : the perste,: of an Act fur cosiselidating seder our cameo:s-
ta. Moe issr of Ireland ; nst•l trio what improvesineitts Islay •ion al! the districts front Shrewsbury to liolehead, a es,
be mete in the arerimneelm ion of promos 1•11111:1114.11c and teal eofl TO miles, nett fuemerly under Wren .14. resit
disereharkine at Holyhead met Ilusrth rehiseetively ; and Trost.; anal the Report which 34.1'1111ml lias mode to ire
to repot their oboe' eatioll4 Ihercopa, logsaher with the Holyhead Road C neseeeirersospon tlw a hole of the walks
minuses of the evidence taken before them from woe lo he has omelet-tett hi the last four years ia Wars. iteduce
tone. to the 11011.C11.1Ve. 11111,11a111 to the 11.-der of the , your Committee to make new the tiler observai keels upon it.
Howie, further inquired into the matters to them refereed, - In respect In the sow Act, they are
foe so wronim ,'
peer's sy °phstem
oton
and have &greed to the following Report:— : ! that it forma the heat possible imodel
The Committee of the Session of 1617 rave an full an ! of ..,1 mmagenieet throngtsout the United kingduni : the
account in their Rellnft, of the road from Lendon through 1 C01nn11441.1111411 arc limited in 'lumber 141 titans upon I !')
Corentry to lesslylwasi, that it is not nerosary to say any : milts; they are bowed to employ a prilless 1111 l al cisil engseeer
thing mare In %hew that alma line is preferable to line rt
e other : to supemend allil manse and he responsible for the sheer
lines by (teem' and Cheater. Your Committee will there. - of the la pane and int' ttttttttttttttt ; they are reirpoircd to lay an
fore proceed in lay before she HMI.. their üblerveires. on , sweeten r eery at am ee their 1111111111° and ealosolitiore ht-fore
the progress which has been made by the severest Turnpike Parliament ; aail if tipsy allow the road iu ess oust of leper,
Trust.. in improving this lead thrimgh Coventry, since the i there ie a power ve-ti it in the Crown to rentase them. ~,,,,
elate of that Report. •
sprint new Conimiseime is in their piece.
In the first place, it is hut jun to notice the nlieration i ' Mr. Telford'e Report tin the Welsh Road Impreseement•
; It gives a
!'1 tea to be read with considerable atteetessi
which the St. Allem., Trait have nearly completed at Ware
Hill. They have borrowed very accurate ate sec ptioss of a 'behest of roadeseking,
6 ,000/. from the Excheqner Bill :
Commissioners ; and having placed the works under Me_ ; which men be quite new I/1 311 those also have nut paid that
Telforel's direction, the great ineouvenience of this Hill wall ' Close Idea to the subject which is necessary', to enaide
very
The success of this undertaking is a moat useful example, intricate warmer. mid one of great difficulty to acquit e. and
to skew the other Trusts hew easily they may make similar ! of Moll treater ddlicalla to apply with advantage, even in toe
improvements. The additional tell* which have beweion. i most ordinary caws.
posed by the St. Alba Trost, muter the Exchequer'. Ilill . Will 1 such skill and experience as. Ile. Telford has he
Act, pay le per cent. fur the money borrowed, whit•lt is suf. , long p. mince and slows i.e talents beau able In ;loam. st
fieient to reticent the debt in the course of a few years, and ! would Inter been impossible to have made a road *Whet,' at
to allow of these additional tolls being soon taken off. I, tingle issconvestieut lull open it, through such a reseaed and
The Wolverhampton Trust have also borrowed from the . motenei ttttt is country sic North Moles. Iles complete rut-
Exchequer Ell Comminionere a sufficient sum to do away , ern, there-6.re, in thei inetence, sweabe to lead all twee oi„.
the ine ttttttttttttttt of Tettenhal Hill; hit they hare pint I are hitrustea lay Parlialsorm with the important duty tut
commenced the proposed imprevement, in cousequence of 1 managing the very twee stints of pulite: money which au.-
. I sr...Reeled from laeupike lulls, to place Great reliance eel his
no plan bovine as yet been decided upon.
Voter Committee feel great satisfaction 11 haring it in , riaainimeorlations; and to feel, a ben the y twee formed
their power to Ray, that all the Trunk 'MVP niaile con:hlera. , maxims nt road makiag mid repair:ma in their own minds,
ble exertion' to im;wove their respective districts ; and they ! which prove to be qiiiie opposite to leis, that they "meat to
have no doubt, judging from what lota already' been done, i doubt their validity, and out be very obstinate in persatorg
that they will very soon have the whole fine much better ; in 34.111•11r11114111 thou.
than ii 110 W 111, by adopting without delay the advice which 1 As lhorlimseet has pained a new Act to enable the Hole-
they will find in Mr. 'relford's Report ou the state of each 1 kited Roof Commiestourrs to bald a bridge urine tbe
Trust, from Shrewsbury to Linehan. 1 Menai Streit', sold to make an entirely new road across tie
As it appears in the evidence of Mr. Johnston. the Inetwe. ' Island of Anelowe : muil as a grant has also been voted its
toe of Mail coaches, that the Piotrnasters.General, whets this Session of la,uout. for making further improveminte
making the last contract for the Holyhead mail to perform .on theof the getroad
iltween
roußgh angor%Va Ferry said S
cohrewsburtwo or
y, the
the journey ie thirty-six hostes,could slot get the Proprietors wholethl the wee of
to goo the first one hundred miles, from London to Stolle. 1 three year*, will he by foe the must perfect road in the
braise, at • Letter rate ekes' seven, mile, and • half an hour, t United Kingdom ; the mail will have no difficulty whatever
although they were able to get the other Proprietor. be. ; in travelliug it at 'lie rate of eight miles an hour, ittelodiag
y I Stonehriage, to go from thence to Waken' eight miles all steppers. If taw road unto Lenelott to Sioriebri,lge
an hour, it is to he hoped that no effort will be spared to I shall he at the none time as much improvedought t•u
overcome this practical inconvenience to the commenters- he, thew it will he practicable to perform this whole jesuitry
lion willi Ireland, by which exactly oue hour is lost iu the ! from London in Holyheird of 264
simile', at tight miles an
first one hundred miles from Lundell. ; hour. whirls will make the a hole 3 hours If to d.,-;
Though the materials are not so ;teal along these 180 : time one hour is added fur extra Pall-office business at Re-
nsiles nit of Loudon, as they are along the rest of the road, 1 mineliam and Siteewsletry, the mail will artier at Ileilyheaa
therms& of the Trestles are much richer, and the material. are let aix oh-lock hue seemed morning from London ; and :!•e
sufficiently gond, with pryer management, to make e per. 1 English lytiorri will reach Dulolia, with a faveurable WIWI, at
fectly hard and solid mail. Rut as lung as the groat i• ; levee ..'cluck thr eecouti claming from London, iu tuna to he
made use of according to the ancient system, that is, thrown ! answered Ille same evening, or to be forwarded by the Irish
upon the road without separating the clay from it, and mail roadies.
will t hi...eking the large chines, it is utterly imponible Your Committee have felt it right to make this statement,
the mail eats become a good one. Upon this point all per. in ouster to impress upon the several Trustees of the rued
WWI over, who have any character for scientific skill in front Interim. lii
an Shrewsbbe ury,sawe the ee
eery
great impedance of
reastmakine; and the soiMial Id their Israelite lets fully 1 every moment at cd conveying the mail to
established its mains. Still, however, many Serveyisre go on 1 Holyhead ; hoe it
mustyclearl whew's, that rt very few misitiles our
according In early notions,
stones together, and that a compiritiiin of materials, partly the time requivite fur receiving an answer 111 a letter.
hard and partly soft, is better to bear the pressure nail fete. , Year C ttttt mitiese Leg to take this opportnnity In sivegest,
thou of a heavy carriage, than one which cousins of nothisig 1 for the @termer consideration of the. several Truetea of the
but hard materials; till this most absurd prejudice ie I road between Loudon mid Shrewsbury. windier it would not
wholly banished from the practice of the Surveyors of the i be very desirable to emisulidate the whole of the Trusts into
'marl between Loudon anil Stonebridge, thin part oto
f due one r noire Commissions, similar to that awhichlit, bran al,.
linlybrall line must continue to he, a• it now is, the prima. pointed fir the rout fi om Shrewsbury to Holyhead. Seek a
pal (obstacle in the way of enabling the Ilelylvestel snail to I plan would secure more uniformity of management, sod ad.
travel, as it ought to tin, at the rate spiritist miles an hour, ruit of A 11141iieiroil sate, y being given to commena die whole
the whole way from London to Holyhead. . ef the time and services of ass experienced seed engineer.
There is one cireurnstance whirls ought to encourage the 1 There can be no ahead that llw repairs awl improvements
Trustees' to adept the mode or prepirin gavel rreumoresiel. 1 might he carried tilt, tint only with more skill and utility
ell by Mr. Telford, and that is, die superior economy of 1 to the public, but Ishii :II a lea expellee than is now U-
ttar plan. It Isar been proved in the eimrse of this Saailell, I eternal upon diem. The debut might remain secured in the
before Ilse Committee on Turnpike Roadie by Mr. 11PAil•en, • same way they iiew ale; and the toile, nitre a very few years,
that a very bad road may he made a very %oud one, at the I would admit of being reduced. If each a plan wit adopted,
ordinary expeuse which is incensed in repairing ell the liaisvy ; there would be no 111 eessity (of displacing sue present Sur-
gravel roads about Loudon, by attention to clennitic the 1 veyors. as they would lie wanting as hop( cm's, to eisperin.
gravel mud breaking the larger noises. For when all the I teed the *mks directed to he performed by the Commis-
clay is separated (n en the gravel, and every stone ',hove 1, sioorric,aeconliiie lo tbe plans and estimates of the ceeineer.
au inch and a half in its greenest amend tttt •la broken, the 1 From all the information that has come before your coml.
angular shaped noises bile' together in a solid mare, sod ; mittee, they feel quite convinced that this principle sic coo-
when placed on die 1141rkable part of the road, form so herds 1 /11/1111111111:Z the Trusts is not only wanting it pue the Holyhead
surface that the water does not lie upon it, •do the wheels' , road, but upon every great line of road its the United IC:ag-
ent into it; whereas gravel, whets mined with clay. is always l dem ; and that until it is adopted by Parliament, the system
wet and hitter, except for a few dare in the year, and grinds of email dietricts and large bodies of Trustee% moat prime an
ae that as fiesta in a putter's mill, isy the eassetaut prewar, of , insurnesuistable impediment in the way of removing the
heavy carriage. upon it when in a moist state. Your Cum- 1 great def. eta which ere slow to be found oti all the turnpike
nsittee particularly recommend all the Trustees of the Holy- 1 meth. The want of termer form, of sufficient drainage. of
heed road to read very cerefully the Report of this Seseiuts I due eapoosre to the sou solid air, moil of the necessary aultdity
upou the Tastake Roads, in enter that they may sea how 1 tin the wurk.thle parts, is to lw found in every liamhea sheds
cumpletely setecessful the plan has proved, of cleaning rod 1 iif road, go ill whatever direction you will, from the (keeled
breakirg the gravel snats•riale. 1 Piist.offiee to the must distant parts ef the kinedurn ; ex-
With a view to astortain the exact state iif the road from (aiding where of late years certain limited distetwes of rant
louden to Shrewsbury, in respect to tolls, debts, extwrielt. have hurts plAcril under the sole nonagresent of ru shin.
line, and labour employed urns it, your Committee trans. guisheal loofeamienal roadmakers. And these nell.lllldefseirs,
tante.' ennuis questions so each of die Trusts, the answers which give rise to ess mods delay and incouvenienea to the
to which are inserted in the Appendix ; they also acamineell traveller, and which occasion smelt an immense mooted Imo
the principal Coach Proprietors and Surveyor," of the road. iss hors's, will runtime, tintil the science and experience he
But Ilw Report which Mr.Telforel has made to the Holyhead I regularly educated ptufeesional engiueers and simian's,' as,
Road Commissioners, in consequence of au order given to substituted the the hurt:het and more expensive meth:eh, r
hint by the lords of the Treasury, at the reeommesirlatiun meitseuse 111111 tread 111 r 8/111 mateees.rials, which are pursued by lie-
u( the Committee of 1917, to make a survey of the whole 1 genenslity a sureey
road from !owlets to Wales, has afforded your Committee I The practice of making the tolls coollec neted fromle te teio It
ties
li DC Alden possible information upon every 11:ing belonging 1 a fund in employ the parish paupers, hi ohie c..::•e-
-m it. This Report will he read. not Dilly by every one feel. ; jitnifi•al opout any *eland or jest principle. l'lte is-an-The
hug an interest in this 'stenciller line of noel, but also by . bee a rieht to
expect t that
the t the money hessibl sanepa r fbeemin p
the
les.
all theme who are anaemia t s see the whole @poem of road- 1 1011, al tri
ll be ofedbest po
snekieg generally impictra I, with the greatest satisfactioit I %even cif
the roat ; 101 l to give it to old worn-O
grenen. is
awl advantage. lis • sloppiest. misapplieatio• of it. If the poor emp!,,y.
YIIIIr Committee recommend to the notice of the House, 1 eel stn roads., it ought to be by piece-works so that e ,11-h
ae4 a all the Road Trustless, the coiscluding remarks of Mr. 1, man might reesive paymeat for exactly *bat work he does,
Telford. which apply generally to the whole subject of mad I nod fur 1111 11111 Ir : 11141 according to the present way of pa.
repairing. lu these they will find all the lending prim-Iphi' ,1 lug them by the day, a great deal of money is expeaded, 141141
of this particular 'caner very clearly {aid tlown awl ex. I little or no niece Is "Waisted twit. Every one who travels
plairrea. The Tinders will thus he able. without spy other I the liulylond road, Ilion acknowledge that mousy of the mew
difficaliy thms that of Unreeling their Sarveyore to pay I I mploysel 1111011 11 are much too old to be able to earls the
strict attention to these principles. to secure the gradeal meal *lnch ie pai•l to them•ng gravel for the road was
and effectual improvement of the whole list of the rood. If she eight way of prepari
Another Report, it appears, ie still Ills Ise expected front adopted, it would oecasten • very great increase a employ.
Mr. Telford, when he shall have completed his survey, ies mot fur aged workman and fur women and thiWreis e far
which, Ise will point tint, and give plane awl'eatioonte• uf all they would he more fit than
slatesen foe betakilsgthe :ravel
the most importassi alteealiuos wad feaprovemente which cafe atones. Thie week hat dense sitliaN radar', and Inds
he made between lesudou nod Sbretriblatery. ilbe gamiest light haminees, so maile se In regent. little fierce to brra4
osstime of them he hits deserilmd in his First Report ; hit a stony. Ily ',reeking every atone whirls is more nags I)
when he shall have prepared all hie pleas it will be • matter kith in its greateat dimensions, Measly MY think of •

....4