THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. S53 



place where the river turns weft by Korti towards Dongola, 

 and this was of great fervice to me in fixing fome other mate- 

 rial points in my map. 



On the 14th, at feven in the morning we left AfTa Nagga, 

 our courfe being due north. At one o'clock we alighted a- 

 mong fome acacia-trees at Waadi el Halboub, having gone 

 twenty-one miles. We were here at once furprifcd and ter- 

 rified by a fight furely one of the moft magnificent in the 

 world. In that vaft expanfe of defert, from W. and to N. W. of 

 us, we faw a number of prbdigious pillars of fand at differ- 

 ent diftances, at times moving with great celerity, at others 

 ftalking on with a majeflic flownefs; at intervals we thought 

 they were coming in a very few minutes to overwhelm us ; 

 and fmall quantities of fand did ad:ually more than once 

 reach us. Agaia they would retreat fo as to be almoft out of 

 fight, their tops reaching to the very clouds. There the tops 

 often feparated from the bodies ; and thefe, once disjoined, 

 difperfed in the air, and did not appear more. Sometimes 

 they were broken near the middle, as if ftruck with a large 

 cannon fliot. About noon they began to advance with confi- 

 derable fwiftnefs upon us, the wind being very ftrong at north. 

 Eleven of them ranged alongfide of us about the dillance of 

 three miles. The greateft diameter of the largeft appeared to 

 me at that difiance as if it would meafure ten feet. They reti- 

 red from us with a wind at S. E. leaving an impreffion upon 

 my mind to which 1 can give no name, though (urely one in- 

 gredient in it was fear, with a confiderabic deal of wonder 

 and aftonifliment. It was in vain to think of flying ; the 

 fwifteft horfe, or fafteft failing fliip, could be of no ufe to 

 carry us out of this danger, and the full perfuafion of 

 this rivetted me as if to the fpot where I flood, and let the 



Vol. IV. 4 A camels 



