9 S TRAVELS TO DISCOVER, 



muft heartily join him, and recommend to my readers to do i 

 the fame, without reading any thing about it, 



On the 2 2d, at night, we arrived at Achmim. I landed 

 my quadrant and inftruments, with a view of obferving an 

 eclipie of the moon; but, immediately after her rifing,. 

 clouds and milt fo effectually covered the whole heavens, 

 that it was not even poilible to catch a liar of any fize paf- 

 fmg the meridian. 



Achmim is a very confiderable place. It belonged once 

 to an Arab prince of that name, who poffefled it by a grant 

 from the Grand Signior, for a certain revenue to be paid 

 yearly. That family is now extinct ; and another Arab prince, 

 Hamam Shck.h of Furfhout, now rents it for his life-time, 

 from the Grand Signior, with all the country (except Girge) ■ 

 from Siout to Luxor. 



The. inhabitants of Achmim are of a very yellow, un- 

 healthy appearance, probably owinp; to the bad air, occafion- 

 ed by a very dirty caliili that panes through the town, 

 There are, likewile, a great many trees, bullies, and gar- 

 dens, about the ftagnated water, all which increafe the bad 

 quality of the air. 



There is here what is called a Hofpice, or Convent of re- 

 ligious Francifcans, for the entertainment of the converts,, 

 or perfecuted Chriftians in Nubia, when they can find them.., 

 This inftitution I fpeak of at large in the fequel. One of 

 the laft princes of the lioufe of Medicis, all patrons of learn- 

 ing, propofed to furnifh them with a compleat obfervatory,, 

 with the mofl perf eel: and expenlive inftruments ; but they 



refufed 



