■ 44 8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



banks of the Nile, and took poflefhon in a line of about 600 

 yards of ground. 



From the time we decamped from Coga it poured incef- 

 fantly the moft continued rain we ever had yet feen, violent 

 claps of thunder followed clofe one upon another, almoft 

 without interval, accompanied with meets of lightning, 

 which ran on the ground like water ; the day was more 

 than commonly dark, as in aneclipfe; and every hollow, or 

 foot-path, collected a quantity of rain, which fell into the 

 Nile in torrents. It would have brought into the dulled 

 mind Mr Hume's (hiking lines on my native Carron — 



Red ran the river down, and loud and oft 

 The angry fpirit of the water fhriek'd. 



Douglas. 



The Abyflinian armies pafs the Nile at all feafons. It rolls 

 with it no trees, ftones, nor impediments ; yet the fight of 

 fuch a monftrous mafs of water terrified me, and made me 

 think the idea of crofling would be laid afide. It was plain 

 in the face of every one, that they gave themfelves over 

 for loft ; an univerfal dejection had taken place, and it was 

 but too vifible that the army was defeated by the weather, 

 without having feen an enemy. The Greeks crowded a- 

 round me, all forlorn and defpairing, curfmg the hour they 

 had firft entered that country, and following thefe curfes 

 with fervent prayers, where fear held the place of devotion. 

 A cold and brifk gale now fprung up at N. W. with a clear 

 fun; and foon after four, when the army arrived on the banks 

 of the Nile, thefe temporary torrents were all fubfided, the 



3 fun 



