THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 389 



qualities adapted to the office he is employed to difcharge. 

 The drieft thiftle, and the bareft thorn, is all the food this 

 ufeful quadruped requires, and even theic, to fave time; 

 he eats while advancing on his journey, without (lopping, 

 or occafioning a moment of delay. As it is his lot to crofs 

 immenfe deferts, where no water is found, and countries 

 not even moiftencd by the dew of heaven, he is endued with, 

 the power at one watering-place to lay in a ftorc, with 

 which he fupplies himfelf for thirty days to come. To 

 contain this enormous quantity of fluid, Nature has form- 

 ed large cifterns within him, from which, once filled, he 

 draws at pleafure the quantity he wants, and pours it into 

 his ftomach with the fame effccl: as if he then drew it from 

 a fpring, and with this he travels, patiently and vigoroufly, 

 all day long, carrying a prodigious load upon him, through 

 countries infected with poiibnous winds, and glowing with 

 parching and never-cooling fands. Though his fize is im- 

 menfe, as is his ftrength, and his body covered with a thick 

 fkin, defended with ftrong hair, yet ftill he is not capable 

 to fuftain the violent punctures the fly makes with his 

 pointed probofcis. He mult lofc no time in removing to the 

 fands of Atbara ; for, when once attacked by this fly, his 

 body, head, and legs break out into large boffes, which fwell, 

 break, and putrify, to the certain deilruction of the creature. 



Even the elephant and rhinoceros, who, by reafen of 

 their enormous bulk, and the vail quantity of food and 

 water they daily need, cannot fliift to defert and dry places 

 as the feafon may require, are obliged to roll themi'eives in 

 mud and mire, which, when dry, coats them over like ar- 

 mour, and enables them to ftand their ground agamic this 

 winged affafiin; yet I have found feme of thefe tubcrculcs 



21 upon: 



