S3^- TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



iTiixt with threats, if he mifbehaved ; and hearing what I' 

 had done for him, flie too gave him an ounce of gold, and 

 faid, at parting, that, for knowledge of the road through 

 the defert, flie believed Idris to be as perfedt as any body ; 

 but in cafe we met with the Bilhareen, they would neither 

 fliew to him nor to me any mercy. She gave me, how- 

 ever, a letter to Mahomet Abou Bertran, Shekh of one of 

 the tribes of Bifliarcen, on the Tacazze, near the Magiran, 

 which flie had made her fon write from the Howat, it not 

 being ufual, flie faid, for her to write herfelf. 1 begged I 

 might be again allowed to teftify my gratitude by kiffing her 

 hand, which flie condefcended to in themoft gracious man- 

 ner, laughing all the time, and faying, " Well, you are an 

 odd man ! if Idris my fon faw me jufl now, he would think. 

 me mad." 



On the 20th of 06lober, in the evening, we left Chendi,. 

 and relied two miles from the town, and about a mile from 

 the river; and next day, the 2rft, at three quarters pail four 

 in the morning we continued our journey, and pafTed 

 through five or fix villages of the Jahcleen on our Icfr; 

 at nine we alighted to feed our camels under fome trees, 

 having gone about ten miles. At this place begins a large 

 ifiand in the Nile feveral miles long, full of villages, trees, 

 and corn, it is called Kurgos. Oppofite to this is the moun- 

 tain Gibbainy, where is the firft fcene of ruins I have met 

 with fince that of Axum in Abyffinia. We faw here heaps 

 of broken pedefials, like thofe of Axum, all plainly defigned 

 for the fi:atues of the dog ; fome pieces of obeliik, likewife, 

 with hieroglyphics, almoft totally obliterated. The Arabs 

 told us theie ruins were very extci five ; and that many pie- 



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