?2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



weft, till they end clofe on the banks of the Nile about 

 Turra. 



The Nile here is about a quarter of a mile broad ; and 

 there cannot be the fmalleft doubt, in any perfon diipofed 

 to be convinced, that this is by very far * the narroweft part 

 of Egypt yet feen. For it certainly wants of half-a-mile be- 

 tween the foot of the mountain and the Libyan more, which 

 cannot be faid of any ether part of Egypt we had yet corns 

 to ; and it cannot be better defcribed than it is by f Hero- 

 dotus ; and " again, oppo/ite to the Arabian fide, is another 

 " ftony mountain of Egypt towards Libya, covered with 

 " fand, where are the Pyramids." 



As this, and many other circumftances to be repeated 

 in the fequel, muil naturally awaken the attention of the 

 traveller to -look for the ancient city of- Memphis here, Heft 

 our boat at Shekh Atman, accompanied by the Arabs, point-- 

 mg nearly fouth. We entered a large and thick wood of 

 palm-trees, whofe greateft extenfion feemed to be fouth by 

 eaft. We continued in this courfe till we came to one, and 

 then to feveral large villages, all built among the plantation 

 of date-trees, fo as fcarce to be feen from the more. 



These villages are called Metrahenny, a word from the 

 etymology of which I can derive no information, and leav- 

 ing the river, we continued due weft to the plantation tha/t 

 is called Mohannan, which, as far as I know, has no figni- 



fication either. 



All 



* Herod, lib. ii. p. 99. f Herod, lib. ii. cap. 8. 



