THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 297 



pleafure and fafety, intending it to be a prefent to my Rais 

 at parting, as he very well knew. At a quarter pall eight, 

 wc were towed to our anchorage in the harbour of Kon- 

 fodah. 



Konfodah means the town of the hedge-hog* It is afmall 

 village, confifting of about two hundred miferable houfes, 

 built with green wood, and covered with mats, made of the 

 doom, or palm-tree ; lying on a bay, or rather a mallow bafon, 

 in a defert wafte or plain. Behind the town are fmall hil- 

 locks of white fand. Nothing grows on more excepting 

 kelp, but it is exceedingly beautiful, and very luxuriant ; 

 farther in, there are gardens. Fifli is in perfect plenty; but- 

 ter and milk in great abundance; even the defert looks 

 frefhcr than other deferts, which made me imagine that 

 rain fell fometimes here, and this the Emir told me was the 

 cafe. 



Although I made a draught of the port, it is not worth 

 the publifhing. For though in all probability it was once 

 deep, fafe, and convenient, yet there is nothing now but a 

 kind of road, under fhelter of a point, or ridge of land, which 

 rounds out into the fea, and ends in a Cape, called Ras Mo- 

 xeffa. Behind the town there is another fmall Cape, upon 

 which there are three guns mounted, but with what h> 

 tention it was not pofhble to guefs. 



The Emir Ferhan, governor of the town, was an Abyfli- 



nian flave, who invited me on fliore, and we dined together 



Vol. I. P p on 



Or Porcupine. 



