THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 87 



We came to a village called Rhoda, whence we faw the 

 magnificent ruins of the ancient city of Antinous, built by- 

 Adrian. Unluckily I knew nothing of thefe ruins when I 

 left Cairo, and had taken no pains to provide myfelf with 

 letters of recommendation as I could eafily have done. Per- 

 haps I might have found it difficult to avail myfelf of them, 

 and it was, upon the whole, better as it was. 



I asked the Rais what fort of people they were ? He faid 

 that the town was compofed of very bad Turks, very bad 

 Moors, and very bad Chriftians; thatfeveral devils had been 

 feen among them lately, who had been difcovered by being 

 better and quieter than any of the reft The Nubian geo- 

 grapher informs us, that it was from this town Pharaoh 

 brought his magicians, to compare their powers with thofe 

 of Mofes ; an anecdote worthy that great hiftorian. 



I told the Rais, that I mult, of neceffi ty, go afliore, and 

 afked him, if the people of this place had no regard for 

 faints ? that I imagined, if he would put on his red turban 

 as he did at Comadreedy for my honour, it would then ap- 

 pear that he was a faint, as he before faid he was known to be 

 all the world over. He did not feem to be fond of the ex- 

 pedition ; but hauling in his main-fail, and with his fore- 

 fail full, ftood S. SL E. directly under the Ruins.. In a fhort 

 time we arrived at the landing-place ; the banks are low, 

 and we 1 brought up in a kind of bight or fmail bay, where 

 there was a ftake, fo our veJTel touched very little, or rather 

 fwung clear. 



Abou Cuffi's fon Mahomet, and the Arab, went on more,, 

 under pretence of buying fome nroviiion, and to fee how 



the 



