THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 39* 



fey a line drawn along their fummit, fo exactly, that, while 

 the eaftern fide, towards the Red Sea, is deluged with rain 

 for the fix months that conftitute our winter in Europe, the 

 weftern fide towards Atbara enjoys a perpetual fun, and ac- 

 tive vegetation. Again, the fix months, when it is (Mir fum> 

 mer in Europe, Atbara, or the weftern fide of thefe mountains, 

 is conftantly covered with clouds and rain, while, for the 

 fame time, the fhepherd on the eaftern fide, towards the 

 Red Sea, feeds his flocks in the moil exuberant foliage and 

 luxuriant verdure, enjoying the fair weather, free from the 

 fly or any other moleftation. Thefe great advantages have 

 very naturally occafioned thefe countries of Atbara and 

 Beja to be the principal refidence of the fhepherd and his 

 cattle, and have entailed upon him the necemty of a per- 

 petual change of places. Yet fo little is this inconvenience, 

 fo fliort the peregrination, that, from the rain on the weft 

 fide, a man, in the fpace of four hours, will change to the 

 oppofite feafon, and find, himfelf in fun-fhine to the caft> 

 ward. 



When Carthage was built, the carriage of this commei> 

 cial city fell into the hands of Lehabim, or Lubim, the Li- 

 byan peafants, and became a great acceffion to the trade, 

 power, and number of the fhepherds. In countries to which 

 there was no accefs by fhipping, the end of navigation was 

 nearly anfwered by the immenfe increafe of camels-; and 

 this trade, we find, was carried on in the very earlieft ages 

 on the Arabian fide, by the Ifhmaelite merchants trading to 

 Palcftine and Syria, from the fouth end of the peninfula, 

 with camels. This we learn particularly from Genefis, they 

 brought myrrh and ibices, or pepper, and fold them for 



4^ filver; 



