594 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



inches radius, round my neck, by a lace, and refting in 

 my pocket. I thus found that we had kept the hne diredly 

 upon Syene, which the Ababde Arab had Ihewed us. 



On the 26th, at half after fix in the morning we fet out 

 from Abou Ferege, continuing nearly in the fame diretftion 

 upon Syene till eleven o'clock, when, for the purpofe of 

 obfervation only, I alighted at a place called Abou Here- 

 gi, without water, grafs, or food for our camels. We were 

 exceedingly averfe to exertions, and became fo weak and 

 fpiritlefs, that it was not poffible to prevail upon our people 

 to take the large quadrant out of its cheil to put it together, 

 and prepare it for obfervation. I therefore took a Hadley's 

 quadrant, with a mixture I had made, which ferved me bet- 

 ter than quick- filver, and made my obfervation by reflection 

 at Abou Heregi, and found it in lat. 23°, from which I infer- 

 red, with fome decree of comfort to myfelf, that the longi- 

 tude of Syene in the French maps is ill laid down, and that 

 we were now in the dire(5lion upon Syene, had no wefting 

 to run down, but the journey mult finifli in a very few days. 



At two o'clock in the afternoon we left Abou Heregi, 

 and at four had an unexpected entertainment, which filled 

 our hearts with a very fliort-lived joy. The whole plain 

 before us feeraed thick-covered with green grafs and yel- 

 low daifies. We advanced to the place with as much fpeed 

 as our lame condition woul-d fufter us, but how terrible was 

 our difappointment, when we found the whole of that ver- 

 dure to confifl: in fenna and coloquintida, the moll naufeous 

 of plants, and the moit incapable of being fubitituted as food 

 for man or bcaft. At nine o'clock in the evening we alight- 

 ed at Saffieha, which is a ridge of craggy mountains to the 



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