THE SOURCE OP TH.E NILE. 227 



name but Jibbcl, the rock, ifland, or mountain, in general. 

 You lhould not come within three full leagues of that rock, 

 but leave it at a diftance to the weftward. You will then 

 fee fhoals, which form a pretty broad channel, where you 

 have foundings from fifteen to thirty fathoms. And again, 

 {landing on directly upon Tor, you have two other oval 

 fands with funken rocks, in the channel, between which 

 you are to fleer. All your danger is here in fight, for you 

 might go in the infide, or to the eaftward, of the many 

 fmall iilands you fee toward the more ; and there are the 

 anchoring places of the Cairo veflels, which are marked 

 with the black anchor in the draught. This is the courfe 

 beft known and practifed by pilots for fhips of all fizes. But 

 by a draught of Mr Niebuhr, who went frOm Suez with 

 Mahomet Rais Tobal, his track with that large fhip was 

 through the channels, till he arrived at the point, where 

 Tor bore a little to the northward of eaft of him. 



Tor may be known at a diftance by two hills that ftand 

 near the water fide, which, in clear weather, may be feen 

 fix leagues off. Juft to the fotuh-eaft of thefe is the town 

 and harbour, where there are ibme palm-trees about the 

 houfes,the more remarkable, that they are the firft you fee on 

 the coaii There is no danger in going into Tor harbour, 

 the foundings in the way are clean and regular ; and by 

 giving the beacon a fmall birth on the larboard hand, you 

 may haul in a little to the northward, and anchor in live 

 -or fix fathom. The bottom of the bay is not a mile from the 

 beacon, and about the fame diftance from the oppofite fliore. 

 There is no fenfible tide in the middle of the Gulf, but, by 

 the fides, it runs full two knots an hour. At fprings, it is 

 liigh water at Tor nearly at twelve o'clock. 



E f 2 On 



