of blind is prodigious, nearly every fifth inhabitant has lost one eye, and many both. All the children have sore eyes, and Europeans do not escape better. The French at first had more than two thirds of their army affected with this malady; and the English, during their short stay, had one hundred and sixty totally blind, and two hundred that lost one eye irrecoverably."[24] How many more were affected with this dreadful malady among the troops that remained in the country until the following year, when it was wholly evacuated, I can not tell; but have reason to believe the number was considerable. Children must suffer much during their infancy from the flies, because they are unable to drive them from their eyes. I saw a woman going to the Nile for water, which she carried in a pitcher upon her head: a naked child sat across her shoulders; its little hands were employed in holding by the head of its mother, to prevent itself from falling; its eye-lashes were literally black with flies that were sucking at its eyes, as they would do at sugar. They work themselves into the inner coating of the eyelids of infants, which no doubt causes some of them to lose their sight in their tender years. In addition to flies, gnats and mosquitoes, all other kinds of vermin are incredibly numerous and troublesome; so much so, that, although there were nothing else but them, they would make Egypt an uncomfortable country to live in. Although the French used all the freedom of conquerors, they were perfectly sick of it. When we landed, they supposed, that, after we had expelled them, we intended to retain possession of it; and they sincerely pitied the lot of their supposed successors. They fought, indeed, bravely; but it was not out of love to the country, but in subordination to military discipline, and for the honour of their arms; but when compelled to surrender on condition of being sent home to France, they rejoiced in the event as a happy deliverance. And indeed it was no wonder; for, in addition to the disagreeable nature of the climate, many of the military posts where they did duty, being in lonely sandy deserts, were so ill accommodated, and in all respects so uncomfortable, that to do service at them was fitter for being a punishment to men banished for their crimes, than for those who deserved well of their country.