THESOURCEOFTHENILE. 6 99 



not any one of them what he conceives, nor is the Mikeas 

 divided unequally. 



As for Mr Humes, who had lived long at Cairo, I would 

 by no means be thought to infinuate a doubt of his veracity : 

 There may, in change of times, be occafions when Chriftians 

 may be admitted to the Mikeas, and be allowed to meafure 

 exactly. This, however, muft be with a long rod, divided 

 and brought on purpofe, with a high ftool or fcaffbld, and 

 this fort of preparation would be attended with much dan- 

 er if feen in the hand of a Chriftian without, and much more 

 if he was to attempt to apply it to the column within. At Cai- 

 ro a man may fee or hear any thing hedefires, by the ordinary 

 means of gold, which no Turk can withftand or refufe ; but 

 often one villain is paid for being your guide, and another 

 villain, his brother, pays himfelf, by informing againft you; 

 the end is mifchicf to yourfelf, which, if you are a ftranger, 

 generally involves alfo your friends. You are afked.What did 

 you at the Mikeas when you know it is forbidden? and your 

 filence after that queftion is an acknowledgement of guilt ; 

 fentence immediately follows, whatever it maybe, and execu- 

 tion upon it. I rather am inclined to think, that though feve- 

 ral Chriftians have obtained admiilion to the Mikeas, very 

 few have had the means or instruments, and fewer Hill the 

 courage, to meafure this column exactly; which leads me ro 

 believe, as Dr Shaw fays, he procured the number of feet in a 

 letter from Mr Humes, that the Doctor has miilaken 58 for 38, 

 which, in a foreign hand, is very eafily done ; it would then 

 be 38, inftead of 58 Englifh feet, and to that number it 

 might approach near enough, and the difference be account- 

 ed for, from an aukward manner of meafuring with a trem- 

 bling hand, there being then only a little more than one 

 foot of error. 



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