^S6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



His rays fliining through them for near an hour, gave them 

 an appearance of pillars of fire. Our people now became 

 defperate : The Greeks flirieked out, and faid it was the 

 day of judgment. Ifmael pronounced it to be hell, and the 

 Tucorories, that the world was on fire. I afked Idris if ever 

 he had before feen fuch a fight ? He faid he had often feen 

 them as terrible, though never worfe ; but what he feared 

 mofl was that extreme rednefs in the air, which was a fure 

 prefage of the coming of the fimoom. I begged and en- 

 treated Idris that he would not fay one word of that in the 

 hearing of the people, for they had already felt it at Im- 

 hanzara in their way from Ras el Feel to Teawa, and again 

 at the Acaba of Gerri, before we came to Chendi, and they 

 were already nearly diftra6ted at the apprehenfion of find- 

 ing it here. 



At half pad four o'clock in the afternoon we left Waadi 

 Del Aned, our courfe a little more to the weftward than the 

 direflion of Syene. The fands which had difappeared yef- 

 terday fcarcely fliewed themfelves at all this day, and at 

 a great diftance from the horizon. This was, however, a 

 comfort but of fliort duration. I obferved Idris took no 

 part in it, but only warned me and the fervants, that, upon 

 the coming of the fimoom, we fliould fall upon our faces, 

 with our mouths upon the earth, fo as not to partake of 

 the outward air as long as we could hold our breath. We 

 alighted at fix o'clock at a fmall rock in the fandy ground, 

 without trees or herbage, fo that our camels failed all that 

 night. This place is called Ras el Seah, or, by the Bifliareen,. 

 El Mout, which fignifies death, a name of bad omen. 



On 



