THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 505 



Belac, moreover, told him, that the patriarch of the 

 Cophts had aflured the principal people of which that cara- 

 van confifted, that the Franks then travelling with him were 

 not merchants, but forcerers, who were going to Ethiopia, 

 to obflrua, or cut off the courfe of the Nile, that it might 

 no longer flow into Egypt, and that the general refolution 

 was to drive the Franks from the caravan at fome place in 

 the defert which ftiited their defigns, which were to reduce 

 them to perifli by hunger or thirft, or elfe to be otherwife 

 iiain, and no more heard of. 



The caravan left Siout the 12th of September. In twelve 

 days they pafTed the leffer defert, and came to Khargue, 

 where they were detained fix days by a young man, gover- 

 nor of that place, who obliged M. du Roule to pay him 120 

 dollars, before he would fuifer him to pafs further ; and at 

 the fame time forced him to fign a certificate, that he had 

 been permitted to pafs without paying any thing. This was 

 the firft fample of the ufage he was to expea in the further 

 profecution of his journey. 



On the 3d of October they entered the great defert of Se- 

 lima, and on the i8th of fame month they arrived at Ma- 

 chou, or Mofcho, on the Nile, where their caravan ftaid a 

 confiderable time, till the merchants had tranfafted their 

 bufinefs. It was at this place the ambaffador learned, that 

 feveral Francifcan friars had paffed the caravan while it re- 

 mained at Siout, and advanced to Sennaar, where thev had 

 llaid fome time, but had lately left that capital upon news 

 of the caravan's approaching, and had rethed, nobodv knew 

 whether. 



^'^^•"- J?S A REPORT 



