MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 41 



hazard of being murdered by the Arab robbers ; and 

 in one of the sepulchres at Thebes, he drew two 

 ancient harps, which were preserved among his- 

 papers, and given to Mr. Burney to illustrate his 

 History of Music. 



Two days after the canja had sailed from Luxor, 

 it reached Sheik Amner, the encampment of the 

 Arab tribe that extended ft 3m Cosseir on the Red 

 Sea far into the desert which Bruce had to cross. 

 He thought it politic to cultivate their friendship. 

 The traveller and his party were well received by the 

 old Sheik, called Nimmer (or the Tiger), who was 

 very ill, and lying in the corner of his tent on a 

 carpet. Bruce prescribed soap pills, which afforded 

 him great relief; after which the grateful veteran 

 solemnly offered him his protection as far as Cosseir. 

 By the advice of the " Royal Tiger," to whom for 

 the first time he unfolded his real design of pene- 

 trating into Abyssinia, he was induced to take the 

 route from Kenne to Cosseir; thence to cross the 

 Red Sea to Jidda in Arabia ; and from that port to 

 sail direct for Massuah on the coast of Sennaar. 

 Accordingly, on the 16th of February, 1769, he set 

 out from Kenne, retracing his course down the Nile ; 

 having previously visited the celebrated cataracts, 

 which are about six miles from Assuan. Much to 

 his surprise, he found that vessels could sail up the 

 rapids, the river there being not half a mile broad, 

 but divided into a number of small channels. 



The caravan, which he joined at Kenne, crossed 



