7 o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



of the water. And this they repeated, in perfect time, and 

 with furprifmg regularity. Our Rais thought we wanted 

 to buy fifh ; and letting go his main-fail, ordered them on 

 board with a great tone of fuperiority. 



They were in a moment alongfide of us ; and one of 

 them came on board, lafhing his mifcrablc raft to a rope at 

 our Hern. In recompence for their trouble, we gave them 

 fome large pieces of tobacco, and this tranfported them fo 

 much, that they brought us a bafket, of feveral different 

 kinds of fifh, all fmall ; excepting one laid on the top of 

 the bafket, which was a clear falmon-coloured Mi, filvered 

 upon its fides, with a made of blue upon its back*. It 

 weighed about 10 lib. and was moil excellent, being per- 

 fectly firm and white like a perch. There are fome of this 

 kind 70 lib. weight. I examined their nets, they were ra- 

 ther of a fmaller circumference than our calling nets in 

 England ; the weight, as far as I could guefs, rather heavier 

 in proportion than ours, the thread that compofed them be- 

 ing fmaller. I could not fufhciently admire their fuccefs, 

 in a violent ftream of deep water, fuch as the Nile ; for the 

 river was at leaft twelve feet deep where they were iiihing, 

 and the current very ftrong. 



These fifhers offered willingly to take me upon the raft 

 to teach me ; but I cannot fay my curiofity went fo far. 

 They faid their fifhing was merely accidental, and in courfe 

 of their trade, which was felling thefe potter earthen jars, 

 which they got near Afhmounein ; and after having carried 



the 



* Named Bimy. Sec Appendix. 



