THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 177 



eft part of which was of the marble, verde antico, as it is 

 called in Rome, but by far the moll beautiful of the kind 

 I had ever feen. 



Having patted this, we had mountains on both fides of 

 us, but particularly on our right. The only ones that I my- 

 felf examined were of a kind of granite, with reddifh veins 

 throughout, with triangular and fquare black fpots. Thefe 

 mountains continued to Mefag el Terfowcy, where we en- 

 camped at twelve o'clock ; we were obliged to bring our 

 water from about five miles to the fouth-eafl. This water 

 does not appear to be from fprings, it lies in cavities and 

 grottos in the rock, of which there are twelve in number, 

 whether hollowed by nature or art, or partly by both, is 

 more- than I can folve. Great and abundant rains fall here 

 in February. The clouds, breaking on the tops of thefe 

 mountains, in their way to Abyffinia, fill thefe citterns with 

 large fupplies, which the impending rocks fe cure from eva- 

 poration. 



It was the firfl frefli water we tailed fince we left the Nile; 

 and the only water of any kind fince we left Legeta. But 

 fuch had been the forefight of our caravan, that very few 

 reforted thither, having all laid in abundant {lore from the 

 Nile ; and fome of them a quantity fufficient to ferve them 

 till their return. This was not our cafe. We had water, it 

 is true, from the Nile ; but we never thought we could have 

 too much, as long as there was room in onr water-fkins to 

 hold more ; I therefore went early with my camel-drivers, 

 expecting to have feen fome antelopes, which every night 

 come to drink from the well, having no opportunity to do 

 it throughout the day. 



Vol. I. Z I HA3 



