THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 705 



Mr Pococke makes two very curious and fenfible remarks 

 in point of fact, but of which he does not know the reafon. 

 u The Nile, he fays, in the beginning, turns red, and fome- 

 times green ; then the waters are unwholefome. Hefuppofes 

 that the fourcc of the Nile beginning to flow plentifully, 

 the waters at firft bring away that green or red filth which 

 may be about the lakes at its rife, or at the rife of thefe 

 fmall rivers that flow into it, near its principal fource ; for, 

 though there is fo little water in the Nile, when at loweft, 

 that there is hardly any current in many parts of it, yet 

 it cannot be fuppofed that the water mould ftagnate in 

 the bed of the Nile, fo as to become green. Afterwards 

 the water becomes very red and ftill more turbid, and then 

 it begins to be wholefome V 



The true reafon of this appearance is from thofe immenfe 

 marfhes fpread over the country about Nareaand Caffa, where 

 there is little level, and where the water accumulates, and is 

 ftagnant, before it overflows into the river Abiad, which ri- 

 fes there. The overflowing of thefe immenfe marfhes carry 

 firft that difcoloured water into Egypt, then follows, in Abyf- 

 finia, the overflowing of the great lakeTzana, through which 

 the Nile paffes, which, having been ftagnated and without 

 rain for fix months, under a fcorching fun, joins its putrid 

 waters with the firft. There are, moreover, very few rivers 

 in Abyflinia that run after November, as they Hand in pro- 

 digious pools below, in the country of the Shangalla, and 

 afford drink for the elephant, and habitation and food for 

 die hippopotamus. Thefe pools likewife throw off their 

 ftagnant water into the Nile on receiving the firft rains ; 



Vol. III. 4 U at 



* Pococke. vol. i. p. 199. 200. 



