THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. S t 



I thanked him for this friendly offer, which I am per- 

 fuaded I might have accepted very fafely, but I contented 

 myfelf with defiring, that one of the Moor fervants in the 

 boat mould go to Cairo to fetch Mahomet Abou Cuffi's fon's 

 cloaths, and agreed that I mould give live patakas additional 

 hire for the boat, on condition that Mahomet mould go with 

 us in place of the Moor fervant, and that Abou Cuffi, the 

 father and faint (that never drank fermented liquors) mould 

 be allowed to fleep himfelf fober, till his fervant the Moor 

 returned from Cairo with his fon's cloaths. 



In the mean time, I bargained with the Shekh of the. 

 "Howadat to furnifh me with horfes to go to Metrahenny or 

 Mohannan, where once he faid Mimf had Hood, a large city* 

 the capital of all Egypt. 



All this was executed with great fuccefs. Early in the 

 morning the Shekh of the Howadat had paffed at Miniel, 

 where there is a ferry, the Nile being very deep, and attend- 

 ed me with five horfemen and a fpare horfe for myfelf, at 

 Metrahenny, fouth of Miniel, where there is a great planta- 

 tion of palm-trees. 



The 13th, in the morning about eight o'clock, we let out 

 our vaft fails, and paned a very confiderable village called 

 Turra, on the eaft fide of the river, and Shekh Atman, a fmall 

 village, confiding of about thirty houfes, on the well. 



The mountains which run from the cafile to the eaft ward 

 of fouth-eaft, till they are about five miles diftant from the 

 Nile eaft and by north of this nation, approach again the 

 banks of the river, running in a direeiion fouth and by 



G 2 weft, 



