Formerly this city was the emporium for all vessels, but now for the most part they only run in to pay the toll and to take in supplies for their crews.

This populous place has a big stomach, and many trades drive a considerable business here, but most of those that fail here are still carried on in Alexandria." "It is the sea that is lacking," interrupted the Jew; "Memphis trades only with Egypt, and we with the whole world.

The merchant who sends his goods here only load camels, and wretched asses, and flat-bottomed Nile-boats, while we in our harbors freight fine seagoing vessels.

When the winter-storms are past our house alone sends twenty triremes with Egyptian wheat to Ostia and to Pontus; and your Indian and Arabian goods, your imports from the newly opened Ethiopian provinces, take up less room, but I should like to know how many talents your trade amounted to in the course of the past year.

Well then, farewell till we meet again on my boat; it is called the Euphrosyne, and lies out there, exactly opposite the two statues of the old king--who can remember these stiff barbarian names?
In three hours we start.