4^ TRAVELS IN UPPER 



Mahometans regard this saint as a zealous parti- 

 zan of the Alcoran, the Christians claim and vene- 

 rate him as one of their bishops, who received the 

 mournful honours of martyrdom at hisine*. But 

 enough has been said respecting those absurd chi- 

 meras, of which the men of all ages and of all na- 

 tions have been the may-game. 



We quitted the shores, formerly flourishing, but 

 now desolate, of the city of Antinoiis. We came 

 lo anchor opposite to Mdl/avoui, three leagues from 

 Sche'ick AhadL Mellavom is a little city, of a very 

 beautiful appearance, situated at abouthalfa league 

 from the western banks of the N ile. A KiaschtfwTxs 

 resident there. The plains which surround it are 

 very fertile, particularly in wheat. A large quan- 

 tity of that grain is exported thence into Arabia. 



On the 25th of April we journeyed from Mel- 

 Javoiii to Manfeloui, Vv'here we arrived in the even- 

 ing. The distance between tliese two places is 

 nearly ten leagues. At two leagues below Majife- 

 lout the eastern shore of the Nile is a chain of very 

 high mountains, entirely of barren rock. The 

 waters of the river have undermined them below, 

 by which means the upper part projects consider- 

 ably beyond the lower. This chain of rocks is 

 called the Mountain oi Ahoiifeda^ after the name 



* Vansleb, Nouv. Relation d'Egypie, p. 3S7. 



of 



