55a TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



While the camels were loading, I bathed myfelf with in- 

 finite pleafure for a long half hour in the Nile, and thus 

 took leave of my old acquaintance, very doubtful if we 

 fliould ever meet again. We then turned our face to N. E. 

 leaving the Nile, and entering into a bare defert of fixed 

 gravel, without trees, and of a very difagreeable whitilh co- 

 lour, mixed with fmall pieces of white marble, and pebbles 

 like alabafter. At a quarter paft four we alighted in a fpot 

 of high bent grafs, where we let our camels feed till eight 

 o'clock, and at three quarters paft ten we halted for the 

 night in another patch of grafs ; the place is called Ho- 

 weela. Jibbel Ateflian bore b. W. and by W. of us, the dif- 

 tance about feven miles. I inquired of Idris, if he knew, to 

 point out to me, precifely where Sycne lay, and he fhewed 

 me without difficulty. I fet it by the compafs, and found 

 it to be N. and by W. very near the exaft bearing it turned 

 out upon obfervation afterwards. He faid, however, we 

 fliould not keep this tracft, but fliould be obliged to vary oc- 

 cafionally in fearch of water, as we fhould find the wells in 

 the defert empty or full. 



On the 12th, at feven o'clock in the morning we quitted 

 Howeela, continuing our journey through the defert in the 

 fame dire(5lion, that is to the N. E. ; our reafon was, to avoid 

 as much as poffible the meeting any Arab that could give 

 intelligence of our being on our journey, for nothing was 

 fo eafy for people, fuch as the Bifliareen, to way-lay and cut 

 us off at the well, where they would be fure we muft of 

 neceffity pafs. At twenty minutes paft eight we came to 

 Waadi el Haimcr, where there are a few trees and fome bent 

 grafs, for this is the meaning of the word Waadi in a de- 

 fert. The Arabs, called Sum gar, are here on the weft of us, 



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