THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 77 



firm heart, and ftrenaous nerves ; never more dininguifhed 

 for all thefe qualities than in the hour of imminent danger ; 

 at other times remarkable for quietnefs and filence, and a 

 conflant fludy of his Koran. 



We carried it fteadily up the fleep, eafed the cafe gently 

 over the big ftones on which, from time to time, we relied 

 it ; and, to the wonder of them all, placed the head of the 

 three-foot quadrant, with its double cafe, in fafety far above 

 the flony parts of the mountain. At Yafme's requefl wc 

 again undertook the next moll difficult talk, which was to 

 carry the iron foot of the quadrant in a fmgle deal-cafe, not 

 fo heavy, indeed, nor fo liable to injury, but flail what had 

 been pronounced impomble to carry up fo fteep and rugged 

 a mountain ; and refufing then the faint offers of thole that 

 flood gazing below, excufmg themfelves by foretelling an 

 immediate and certain mifcarriage, we placed the feconxl 

 cafe about ten yards above the firft in perfed good condi- 

 tion. 



Declaring ourfelves now without fear of contradict ioa, 

 and, by the acknowledgment of all, upon fair proof, the two 

 bell men in the company, we returned, bearing very vifibly 

 the characters of fuch an exertion ; our hands and knees 

 were all cut, mangled, and bleeding, with Hiding down and 

 clambering over the marp points of the rocks ; our clothes 

 torn to pieces ; yet we profefledour ability, without any re- 

 proaches on our comrades, to carry the two telefcopes and 

 time-keeper alio. Shame, and the proof of fupericr con- 

 ftancy, fo much humbled the reft of our companions, that 

 one and all put their hands fo brifkly to work, that, with 

 infinite toil, and as much pleafure, wc advanced fo far as to 



1 place 



