652 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER , 



Gojam, a country deluged with fix months rain, this 

 tree would not grow ; though fo much farther fouth 

 it is near two Englifh miles higher than Atbara, and is 

 therefore too cold. Such are my reafons for believing that 

 Gojam cannot be Meroe. In my return through the defert 

 I mall confirm this, by proving that Atbara is Meroe, and 

 that we are to look for it about lat. i6° 29', near the end of 

 the tropical rains. 



The Nile, now united with the Aftaboras, takes its courfe 

 flraight north for more than two degrees of the meridian; 

 it then makes a very unexpected turn W. by S. confiderably 

 more than that fpace in longitude, winding very little till it 

 arrives at Korti, the nrfl town in the Barabra, or kingdom of 

 Dongola. The river by this time, with three fides, inclofed the 

 great deferts of Bahiouda the road through this from Dereira 

 to Korti (before it was cut off by the Arabs, as it now con- 

 tinues to be) made the fourth fide of the fquare which 

 bound this defert ; by this route it was that Poncet and the 

 unfortunate M. du Roule went to AbyfTinia. 



From Korti the Nile runs almofl S. W. where it pafTes 

 Dongola, a country of the Shepherds, called alfo Beja, the 

 capital of Barabra, and comes to Mofcho, a confiderable 

 town, and welcome place of refrefliment to the weary tra- 

 veller, when the caravans were fuffered to pafs from Egypt 

 into Ethiopia, who, after traverfing the dreary defert of Seli- 

 raa for near 500 miles, found himfelf at Mofcho, in repofe, in 

 the enjoyment of plenty of frefh water, long ago become to 

 him an indulgence more delicious than ever he had be- 

 fore conceived. From Mofcho the Nile turns gradually to 

 the N. E, and in lat. 22 15' it meets with a chain of moun- 

 3 tains, 



