244 '^^ Account of M. .-..'s Travels 



recover from the effefts of his journey, commenced, on the 

 jft of May, another to Rafhid, whore he ftaid five daysj 

 and on the 6th of May embarked with a view of proceeding 

 to Terane, a town fituatcd on the left of the nroft weftcrii 

 mouth of the Nile, at a very fmall difiance frcni the river. 

 From Terane Mr. Brown made an excurfion to new the 

 lal<cs which produce natron, and to obferve that prodiidlion 

 in its nafcent ftatc. One of them was very irregtilar in its 

 form, fo that it was not eafy to fay what might be the quan- 

 tity of ground covered with water. It is higher in winter 

 than in fmnmer ; and, at the period when Mr, Brown viewed 

 it, he could no where difcover that the breadth of it ex- 

 ceeded a mile : its length might be nearly four. Towards 

 the end of fumnier thefe lakes, it is faid, are almoft dry, and 

 the fpace from which the water has retired is then occupied 

 by a thick depofition of fait. Not far from the eaftern ex- 

 tremity a Ipring rifes with fome force, which much agitates 

 the reft of the water. Clofc to the fpring the depth was far 

 greater than our traveller's height, in other parts it did not 

 generally exceed three feet.. The thermometer near the 

 fpring Hood at 76, while in the open air it was at 87. The 

 more weftern lake differs not materially from the eaflern, in 

 lize, form, or productions : the colour of the water in both 

 is an imperfett red, and, where tlic bottom is vifible, it ap- 

 pears almoll; as if covered with blood. Salt, to the thick- 

 nefs of five or fix inches, lies conflantlv in the more fliallow 

 part. How thick the fubftancc of natron commonly is in 

 the lake, Mr. Erown did not accurately determine ; but 

 thofe employed to collect it, reported, that it never exceeded 

 a cubit or common pike. Having Ipent two days and part 

 of a third in the vicinity of the lakes, Mr. Brown's attend- 

 ants grew tired, and he was obliged to return. After a fliort 

 interval he embarked for Kahira, and arrived there on the 

 16th of May 1792. 



Mr. Brown being determined ta undertake a journey to 

 Abylfmia, employed the greater part of the fiimmer, which 



he 



