THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 347 



and, upon the firft dawn of day, I fet onr route by the com- 

 pafs, and found it north and by eaft, or more eaflcrly. This 

 did not feem the probable road to Sennaar, after having 

 gone fo confiderably to the north- welt. But, before I could 

 make much reflexion upon the obfervation, one of the ca- 

 ravan declared he knew the road, and that we had gone 

 very little out of it, and were now proceeding ftraight to 

 the well. Accordingly, at half paft nine, we reached it ; it 

 is called Imgellalib*. There is great plenty of water, with 

 a leather-bucket, and a Itraw ro^e to draw it up, but it is 

 very ill-tafted. However, the fear of dying with thirft, more 

 than having materially fuffered from it, made every one 

 prefs to drink ; and the effceT; of this hurry was very foon 

 f^en. Two Abyffinian Moors, a man and woman, died after 

 drinking; the man inftantly, and the woman a few minutes 

 after ; for my own part, though thirfty,! was fenfible I could 

 have held out a confiderable time without danger ; and, 

 indeed, I did not drink till I had walhed my head, face, 

 and neck all over. I then waflied my mouth and throat, 

 and, having cooled myfelf, and in great meafure ailuaged 

 my thirft, I then drank till 1 was completely fatisfied, but 

 onl}' by fmall draughts. I would have perl'uaded all my 

 companions to do the fame, but I was not heard; and one 

 would have thought, like the camels, they had been drink- 

 ing once for many days to come. Yet none of them had 

 complained of thirft till they heard the girbas were empty; 

 and it was not fixteen hours fmce they had drank at Im- 

 hanzara, and but twelve fuice the girbas were found to be 

 .dry, when we firft loft our way, and ftopped in the wood. 



X X 2 The 



*Tlic word ngnifies the Well of Caravans : I fuppofe.of thofe which, like ours, bring 

 fait into Atbara, for there is no other trade between the two nations. 



