4i6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



On the 21ft of April we kftBeyla at three o'clock in the 

 afternoon, our diredion foiuh-weR, through a very plea- 

 fanr,fiat countr}', but without water ; there had been none 

 in our way nearer than the river Rahad. About eleven at 

 night we al ghted in a wood : The place is called Bahene, as 

 near as we could compute, nine miles from Bey la. 



On the 22d, at half paft -five o'clock in the morning we 

 left Baherie, iiill continuing weftward, and at nine we 

 came to the banks of the Rahad. The ford is called Tchir 

 Chaira. The river itfelf was now Handing in pools, the 

 water foul, {linking, and covered with a green mantle ; the 

 bottom foft and muddy, but there was no choice. The water 

 at Bcyla was fo bad, that we took only as much as was ab- 

 folutely necelTary till we arrived at running water from 

 the Rahad. We continued half an hour travelling along 

 the river at N. W. and W. N. W. till three quarters pail ten. 

 At noon we agaia met the river Rahad, which now had 

 turned to the wellward of north, and by its fides we pitch- 

 ed our tents near the huts of the Arabs, called Cohala, a 

 ilationary tribe, that do not live in tents, but are tributary 

 to the Mek, and regularly pay all the taxes and exadlions the 

 government of Sennaar lays upon them, and from thefe, 

 therefore, we were not under any apprehenfion. 



On the 23d, at fix o'clock in the morning we left the Co- 

 hala, continuing along the river Rahad, wiuch here rins 

 a very little to the eallward of north. At three o'clock we 

 alighted at Kumar, another ftacion of the fame Arabs of Co- 

 hala, on the river fide. This river, here called Rahad, or 

 Thunder, winds the moll of any ftream in Abyffinia, It 

 begins not far fiom Tchclga, pajQTes between Kuara and 

 2 Sennaar, 



