THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



93 



We palled Molle, a fmall village with a great number of 

 acacia trees intermixed with the plantations of palms. Thefe 

 occafion a pleafing variety, not only from the difference of 

 the fhape of the tree, but alfo from the colour and diverfity 

 of the green. 



As the fycamore in Lower Egypt, fo this tree feems to be 

 fhe only indigenous one in the Thebaid. It is the Acacia 

 Vera, or the Spina Egyptiaca, with a round yellow flower. 

 The male is called the Saiel ; from it proceeds the gum ara- 

 bic, upon incifion with an ax. This gum chiefly comes from 

 Arabia Petrea, where thefe trees are moll numerous. But it 

 is the tree of all deferts, from the northmoft part of Arabia, 

 to the extremity of Ethiopia, and its leaves the only food 

 for camels travelling in thofe defert parts. This gum is 

 called Sumach in the weft of Africa, and is a principal arti- 

 cle of trade on the Senega among the Ialofes. 



A large plantation of Dates reaches all along the weft 

 fide,, and ends in a village called Mafara. Here the river, 

 though broad, happened to be very fhallow ; and by the 

 violence with which we went, we ftuck upon a fand bank 

 £o faft, that it was after fun-fet before we could get off; 

 we came to an anchor oppofite to Mafara the night of the 

 19th of December- 



On the 20th, early in the morning, we again fet fail and 

 paffed two villages, the firft called Welled Behi, the next 

 Salem, about a mile and 1 a half diftant from each other on 

 the weft fide of the Nile. The mountains on the weft fide 

 of the valley are about fixtecn miles off, in a high even 

 ridge, running in a diredion fouth-caft ; while the moun- 

 tains^, 



