THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 37s 



of Ethiopia and Arabia, by which he enriched Egypt, and 

 what was their connection with the peninfula of India ; who 

 were thofc kings who bore fo oppofite an office, as to be at 

 the fame time Shepherds ; and who were thofe Shepherds, near, 

 and powerful enough to wreft the property of their lands 

 from four million of inhabitants. 



To explain this, k will beneceffary to enter into fome de- 

 tail, without which no perfon dipping into the ancient or 

 modern hiftory of this part of Africa, can have any precife 

 idea of it, nor of the different nations inhabiting the penin- 

 fula, the fource of whofe wealth confifted entirely in the 

 early, but well-eftablifhed commerce between Africa and 

 India. What will make this fubject of more eafy explana- 

 tion is, that the ancient employment and occupations of 

 thefe people in the firft ages, were Hill the fame that fubiift 

 at this day. The people have altered a little by colonies of 

 ftrangers being introduced among them, but their man- 

 ners and employments are the fame as they originally were. 

 What does not relate to the ancient hiftory of thefe people, 

 I fhall only mention in the courfe of my travels when pafs- 

 ing through, or rejourning amongfl them. 



Providence had created the inhabitants of the penin- 

 fula of India under many difadvantages in point of climate. 

 The high and wholefome part of the country was covered 

 with barren and rugged mountains ; and, at different times 

 of the year, violent rains fell in large currents down the 

 fides of thefe, which overflowed all the fertile land below ; 

 and thefe rains were no fooner over, than they were fuc- 

 ceeded by a fcorching fun, the effect of which upon the hu- 

 man body, was to render it feeble, enervated, and incapable 



3A2 of 



