Chap, ii.] ^he Simoom. 469 



word of that in the hearing of the people, for they had 

 already felt it at Imhanfara, in their way from Ras el 

 Feel to Teawa, and again at the Acaba of Gcrri, 

 before we came to Chendi, and they were already nearly 

 diftracted at the appre'henfion of rinding it here. 



c At half pad four o'clock in the afternoon, we left 

 Waadi Del Aned, our courfe a little more to the weft- 

 ward than the direction of Syene. The fands which 

 had difappeared yefterday fcarcely (hewed themfelves 

 at all this day, and at a great diftance from the hori- 

 zon. This was, however, a comfort but of fhort du- 

 ration. I obferved Idris took no part in it, but only 

 warned me, and the fervants, that, upon the coming of 

 the fimoom, we mould fall upon our faces, with our 

 mouths upon the earth, fo as not to partake of the 

 outward air as . long as we could hold our breath. 

 We alighted at fix o'clock at a fmall rock in the 

 fandy ground, without trees or herbage, fo that our 

 camels faded all that night. This place is called 

 Ras el Sheah, or, by the Bimareen, El Mout, which 

 fignifies death, a name of bad omen. 



f On the 1 6th, at half paft ten in the forenoon, we 

 left El Mout, {landing in the direction clofe upon 

 Syene. Our men, if not gay, were, however, in better 

 fpirits than I had feen them fince we left Gooz. One 

 of our Barbarins had even attempted a fong; but 

 Hagi Ifmael very gravely reproved him, by telling 

 him, that finging in fuch a fituation was a tempting 

 of Providence. There is, indeed, nothing more dif- 

 ferent than aftive and paffive courage. Hagi Ifmael 

 would fight, but he had not ftrength of mind to fuffer. 

 At eleven o'clock, while we contemplated with great 

 pleafure the rugged top of Chiggre, to which we 

 were fad approaching, and where we were to folace 

 oiirfelves with plenty of good water, Idris cried out, 

 H h 3 with 



