Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-05-16
HISTORICAL LETTERS.
TO the Editor Of the Virginia argus.
LETTER III.
(Egybt Concluded. }

CEgypt Concluded.
THE ancient Egg ptian stock is sup.
posed to be still extant in the Copts,
who, as modern travellers tell us, are
distinguished by the moral qualities of
ignorance, drunkenness, cunning and
6nesse. The first period of their de-
graduation was the conquest of Egypt
by Cambyses, an event that accrued
525 wears before Christ. He changed
the Laws, prosecuted the Priests, and
demolished the Temples. The second
period is supposed to have been the
persecution OF Dioclesian, when Chris
tianity had taken deep root in the coun-
try. After the death of Candy ses, E.
gypt continued under the Persian yoke.
until Alexander the Great overturned
that monarchy aud built Alexandria.
To hira preceded Ptolemy, the son of
Lago, about 1924 years before Christ /;
and this Ptoleny was followed by ten
Kings OF that name until the time of
the accomplished and voluptuous Cleo
patra, the sister of the last Ptolemy,
when Egyptbecame a Roman province,
and so continued until the reign of O.
mar, the second caliph of Mahomet's
successors, by whom the Romans
were driven out after possession of
700 years. When the caliph power
declined, Saladine set up the empire OF
the Mamelouks, who eventually extern
ded theiy dominion overa great portion
of Arabia, Syria and Africa. A Tur-
kish Eikperob iof the name of Selim,
then COZ queFd Egypt AH Bey at
temptld 70 wrest it fr6m tle Ottomans;
but he was defeated & Filled in 1873.
His adherents, after his death, kept it
in very distracted state, until a COM
promise took place in 1889. In 1899,
1t was invaded by the French, who
landed at Alexandra, proceeded to
Rosetta and Cairo, but were repuIsed
and arrested in their career at St.
John D'Acre, by the intrepidity and
skill of SIR Sidney Smith, British ma
val officer of great me it.
There can be no doubt but the subiu-
CATION and colonization of Egypt has
been an object upon which the French
government has for many years fixed
its most serious attention. Demon
informs us that France, for long PEI
Rod of time, has had it for a natural
object of her policy the notice OF
which, he aliedges, is to counterbal.
ance or to- endeavor to destroy the
British empire in India. If this mo-
I've still prevails. we may expect to
see another eHor: made by Bonaparte
to acquire the dominion of Egypt, aud
this at no very distant period.
Besides the Cop 8, Egypt is at pre-
sent Inhabited by va ious races of men,
of which the Arabs are the most nu-
merous. Tfeselatter are divided in-
to three dess rfpeoasSf p$rsons, name.
ly; The Ahb snephehd Awho is live
ly and of a penetrating &hisiognomy :
The Bedouiu Arab. Aeho lives in a
state of continual warfare, and is of a
savage and lrrocious character. And,
lastly, the Arab cultivator, the most
civilized, the most corrupted, and
most degraded of the three. There
is, also, the doll and heavy Turk, the
willy Greek rhe accommodating Jew,
whose chan c,es is sYery where the
same. and tie Bara5kis, Froh Nubia
and the frontiers, of%sbyssIhia, of a
jetty, shining black. The CHER clas-
SEES Of Egyptian women haV some in
terestiug points of charaefEr, but the
lower orders are by no means fascina.
ting. Despotism and frequent subju-
CATION, have instilled into the minds
of the men the most servile principles
and accustomed them to the most a
baudoned vices; whilst the Jealous
bottoms of their masters have doomed
the females TO life of seclusion. A