1B 6 TRAVELS TO DSCOVER 



We found our Rais full of fears for us. He had been 

 told, that, as foon as day light fhould appear, the whole 

 Troglodytes were to come down to the river, in order to 

 plunder and dellroy our boat. 



This night expedition at the mountains was but partial, 

 the general attack was referved for next day. Upon hold- 

 ing council, we were unanimous in opinion, as indeed we 

 had been during the whole courfe of this voyage. We 

 thought, fmce our enemy had left us to-night, it would be 

 our fault if they found us in the morning. Therefore, 

 without noife, we call off our rope that fattened us, and let 

 ourfelves over to the other fide. About twelve at night a 

 gentle breeze began to blow, which wafted us up to Luxor, 

 where there was a governor, for whom I had letters. 



From being convinced by the fight of Thebes, which had 

 not the appearance of ever having had walls, that the fable 

 of the hundred gates, mentioned by Homer, was mere in- 

 vention,! was led to conjecture what could be the origin of 

 that fable. 



That the old inhabitants of Thebes lived in caves in 



the mountains, is, I think, without doubt, and that the 



hundred mountains I have fpoken of, excavated, and adorn- 



-ed, were the greateit wonders at that time, ieems equally 



probable. Nov/, the name of thefe to this day is Beeban el 



Meluke, the ports or gates of the kings, and hence, perhaps, 



come the hundred gates of Thebes upon which the Greeks 



have dwelt fo much. Homer never faw Thebes, it was -de- 



molifhed before the days of any profane writer, either in 



profe or verfe. What he added to its hiftory mull have been 



from imagination. 



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