THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 613, 



greateft pleafure of his life, never to be abandoned, butfoz* 

 that fuperior gratification — the difcovery of the fountains. 

 of the Nile. 



Achoreus, proud of being referred to on fuch a fubjecl: 

 by fuch a perfon, enters into a detail of information. 



§tutf tibi nofccndl Nilum, Romane, cup'tdo eft, 



Hczc Pbari'iSy Perfifquefuit, Macedumque tyrannis : 



Nullaque. no?i cetas voluit confcrre futuris 



Notitia?n : fed vindt adhuc natura latendu LtTCAN^ 



Nero, as we are tofd, fent two centurions in fearch of 

 this river, and on their return they made their report in 

 prefence of Seneca, who does not feem to have greatly dif- 

 tinguifhed himfelf by his inquiries. They reported, that 

 after having gone a very long way, they came to a king of 

 Ethiopia, who furniihed them with neceilaries and aiiiftance, 

 and with his recommendations they arrived at fome other 

 kingdoms next to thefe, and then came to immeiife lakes, 

 the end of which was unknown to the natives, nor did any 

 one ever hope to find it : this was all the fatisfaetion Nero 

 procured, and it is probable thefe centurions went not far, 

 but were difcouraged, and turned back with a trumped-up 

 ftory invented to cover their want of fpirit, for we know 

 now that there are no fuch lakes between Egypt and. the 

 fource of the Nile, but the lake Tzana, or Dembea, and while 

 on the banks of this, they might have feen the country be<- 

 yond, and on every fide of it * ; bin I rather think no fuch 



attempt 



* Another reafon why 1 think this journey" of the centurions is fictitious is, th:< they 

 fay .the diftar.ee between Syer.csnd Meroe is £60 miles. Flirt"*, lib. 6. cap. 29. 



