5 6z TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



to north, but it foon turns to the north-eaft, and, after flowing 

 five or fix miles, joins the Nile and lofes itfelf in that river. 



Immediately below this ford of the AfTar is a magnificent 

 cafcade, or cataract. I computed the perpendicular height 

 of the fall to be above 20 feet, and the breadth of the flream 

 to be fomething more than 80 ; but it is fo clofely covered 

 with trees or bufhes,and the ground fo uneven, that it needs 

 great perfeverance and attention to approach it nearly with 

 fafety ; the flream covers the rock without leaving any 

 part of it vifible, and the whole river falls uninterrupted 

 down with an incredible violence and noife, without being 

 anyway broken or divided ; below this cataracl it becomes 

 confiderably narrower, and, as we have faid, in this ftate runs 

 on to join the Nile* 



The ftrength of vegetation which the moifture of this 

 river produces, fupported by the action of a very warm fun, 

 is fuch as one might naturally expect from theory, though 

 we cannot help being furprifed at the effects when we fee 

 them before us, trees and fhrubs covered with flowers of 

 every colour, all new and extraordinary in their fhapes, 

 crowded with birds of many uncouth forms, all of them 

 richly adorned with variety of plumage, and feeming to fix 

 their rcfidence upon the banks of this river, without a de- 

 fire of wandering to any diftance in the neighbouring fields : 

 But as there is nothing, though ever fo beautiful, that has 

 not fome defect or imperfection, among all thefe feathered 

 beauties there is not one fongfter ; and, unlefs of the rofe,. 

 or jcfTamin kind, none of their flowers have any fmell ; we 

 hear indeed many fqualling noify birds of the jay kind, and 

 we find two varieties of wild rofes, white and yellow, to which 



I mar 



