THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 649 



and philofophy, which fpread itfelf from this to enlighten 

 other nations, we are now full of uncertainty, fearching in 

 a defert for the place of its exigence ; inch is the miferable 

 initability of all human excellence. Nothing but confufion 

 has followed this inquiry, becaufe they who were engaged 

 in it rather fubftituted vain fyftematical prejudices of their 

 own, than fet themfelves to confider thofe lights which were 

 immediately before them, 



The Jefuits, and a French writer, who is a conftant cham- 

 pion of their errors, have fixed the peninfula of Gojam to be 

 the Meroe' of the ancients. M. le Grande (the compiler al- 

 luded to) having in vain endeavoured to anfwer the objec- 

 tions againft Gojam being Meroe, at laft declares, in a kind 

 of literary paffion, that the ancients have fpoken fo differ- 

 ently about Meroe, that Gojam is as likely to be the place as 

 any other. 



I have a proper efteem for the merit of M. le Grande, 

 where he forms his conjectures from his own opinion, and I 

 have alfo a due deference to that learned Order the Jefuits; it 

 is to their labours, that learning in general, and geography 

 in particular, has been more indebted than to thofe of any o- 

 ther fet of men whatever. Yet ftill I can never believe, either 

 that Gojam is Meroe, or that there is any difficulty in finding 

 its true fituation, or that the ancients have written confufedly 

 about it. On the contrary, I find it defcribed by its latitude, 

 its diilance from places known, the produce of its foil, co- 

 lour of its inhabitants, and feveral other circumnances 

 which peculiarly belong to it, with greater accuracy and 

 precifion than many other difputed fituations. 



Vol. III. 4 N l SHA ** 



