300 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



apologize to me for the insoient remarks which be 

 still allowed to be made. I received his excuses 

 with contempt ; but I was not ^orry to see this 

 man, after endeavouring to do me so much mis- 

 chief, completely humbled in. my presence. 



We weighed anchor early in the morning of the 

 following day. Towards noon, however, the wind 

 blew so violently from the north, and the river be- 

 came so agitated, that the two boats were obhged 

 to seek shelter near an island called Hadsjar Salami, 

 I had never before seen the waves of the Nile swell 

 so high : breaking short, they even threatened dan- 

 ger to small decked boats. These boats have no 

 other resource, when overtaken by these tempests, 

 but to present their poop to the surge, and to en- 

 deavour to keep in this situation, which does not 

 always prevent them from being upset. 



Continuing on the 31st to descend the Nile, we 

 sailed again by a chain of rocks, which the waters 

 touch for a considerable sp^ace, and which appear 

 to have experienced some convul^^ion. At the sum- 

 mit, a chapel indicates the burying-place of a holy 

 Mussulman, universally revered under the name of 

 Scheick Embarek. All the mountains to the east- 

 ward of the Nile are more elevated than those to 

 the westward ; they are also much nearer the river, 

 the shore of which they frequently foj'm of them- 

 selves : 



