THE SOURCE OF THE NIlLE. ^la 



Dahab was made Bey in his place. They faid, one part of 

 the caravan, that went before them, had been attacked 

 and cui off by the Bilhareen under Aboii Bertran ; that they 

 had efcaped by a few hours only, and that all the road was 

 fo infefted with robbers, that it was a miracle if any one 

 could pafs. 



On the 20th we left Kamily at a quarter pail five in the 

 morning,andat about fix miles (the diftance between that and 

 Wed Tyrab) we pafiTed a bare and fandy country, interfpei- 

 fed with fmall coppices, and three quarters paft ten came 

 to Bifhaggara. This is a large village, fome thing above 

 a mile's diftance from the Nile, which fpace is entirely ta^- 

 ken up with brufhwood, without any timber trees. We 

 begin now to fee the eifeds of the quantity of rain having 

 failed. There was little fown, and that fo late as to be 

 fcarcely above the ground. It feems the rains begin later 

 as they pafs northward. Many people were here employed 

 in gathering grafs feeds* to make a very bad kind of 

 bread. Thefe people appear perfecft flceletons, and no won* 

 der, as they live upon fuch fare. Nothing increafes the 

 danger of travelling, and prejudice againft ftrangers, more 

 than the fcarcity of provifions in the country through which 

 you are to pafs.. 



At fifty minutes paft three in the afternoon we left Bi- 

 fhaggara, and at feven came to Eltie, a ftraggling village, 

 about half a mile from the Nile, in the north of a large-, 

 bare plain, allpafture, except the banks of the river, which 



are 



* We had feen this praclifed too by the Agows at the fource of the Nllt 



