THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 487- 



But there is another wakea ufed by the merchants called - 

 the Atareys. 



I Rotol 12 Wakeas, 

 1 Wakea 12 Drams. 



But this is only ufed for coarfe goods. There is but one 

 long meafure in Sennaar, called the Draa, which is the 

 peek, or cubit, and is meafured from the center of the 

 elbow-joint to the point of the middle finger. This is 

 probably the ancient cubit of Egypt, and of the holy icrip- 

 ture. 



I HAVE faid, that the 5th and 6th of Auguft it rained, and ' 

 the river brought down great quantities of fragments of 

 houfes which it had fwept away from the country to the 

 fouthward. It was a very unufual fight to obferve a mul- 

 titude of men fwimming in this violent current, and then 

 coming afliore riding upon flicks and pieces of timber. . 

 Many people make a trade of this, as fuel is exceedingly 

 fcarce at Sennaar. But there were other figns in this inunda- 

 tion, that occupied the imagination of this fuperftitious 

 people. Part of the town had fallen, and ahysena, as already 

 obferved^ had come alive acrofs the river, from which the 

 •wife ones drew melancholy prefages, . 



I HAD not been out of the houfe for two days on account 

 of the rain. On the 7th I intended to have gone to Aira ; 

 but on the morning was told by Hagi Belal, that Mahomet 

 Abou Kalec had advanced to the river El-aice, to crofs it in- ' 

 to Atbara, and that ShekhAdelan had decamped from Aira,, 

 and was gone to meet him ; to this it was added, that Wed 

 3. Ageeb-i 



