THE SOTJTRCE OF THE NILE; J35 - 



prclicnfive of what the French call a Coup defiled. " Go, 

 laid I to the Rais, to Mahomet Gibberti, who was lying juft 

 before us, tell him that I am a Chriflian, and have no jurif, 

 diclion over ghofls in thefe feas." 



A moor called Yafinc, well known to me afterwards, now 

 came forward, and told me, that Mahomet Gibberti had 

 been very bad ever fmce we failed, with fea-fickncfs, and 

 begged that I would not laugh at the fpirit,,or fpeakfo fa- 

 miliarly of him, becaufe it might very poffibly be the devil, 

 who often appeared in thefe parts. The Moor alio defired 

 I would fend Gibberti fome coffee, and order my fervant to 

 boil him fome rice with frefh water from Foolht ; for hi- 

 therto our fifli and our rice had been boiled in fea water, 

 which I conftantly preferred. This bad news of my friend 

 Mahomet banifhed all merriment, J gave therefore the ne- 

 ceffary orders to my fervant to wait upon him, and at the 

 fame time recommended to Yafme to go forward with the 

 Koran in his hand, and read all night, or till we mould get. 

 to Zimmer, and then, or in the morning, bring me an ac- 

 count of what he had feen. . 



The 8th, early in- the morning, we failed fromFoomr; 

 but the wind being contrary, we did not arrive at our del 

 tination till near mid-day, when we anchored in an open 

 road about half a mile from the ifland, for there is no har- 

 bour in Baccalan, Foofht, nor Zimmer. I then took my 

 quadrant, and went with the boat afhore, to gather wood. 

 Zimmer is a much fmaller iffand than Foofht, without in- 

 habitants, and without water; though, by the citterns which 

 ftill remain, and are fixty yards fquare, hewed out of the folid 

 rock, we may imagine this was once a place of confe- 



quence; : 



