244. HISTORY or 



nation most strongly. To conceive a proper idea of these, \re 

 are by no means to suppose tbem resembling those whirlwinds 

 of dust that we sometimes see scattering in our air, and sprink- 

 ling their contents upon our roads or meadows. The sand- 



uere coming in a very few minutes to overwhelm us ; and small quantities of 

 sand did actually more than once reach us. Again they would retreat, so as 

 to be almost out of sight, their tops reaching to the very clouds. There tlie 

 tops often separated from the bf)dies, and these once disjoined, dispersed in 

 the air, and did not appear more. Sometimes they were broken near the 

 middle, as if struck with a large cannon shot : about noon they began to ad. 

 vance with considerHhlo swiftness upon us, the wind being very strong at 

 north. Eleven of them ranged alongside of us, about the distance of three 

 miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me at that distance 

 as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from us with a wind at south- 

 east, leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no name, 

 though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal of won- 

 der and asvonishment. It was in vain to think of flying ; the swiftest horse, 

 or fastest sailing ship could be of no use to carry us out of this danger ; and 

 the full persuasion of this rivetted me as if to the spot where 1 stood, and let 

 the camels gain on me so much in my state of lameness, that it was with 

 some difficulty I could overtake them. The saice phenomenon occurred 

 again in the course of a few days. The same appearance of moving pillars of 

 Band presented themselves to us tliis day, in form and disposition like those 

 we had seen at Waadi Halboub, only they seemed to be more in numbiTand 

 less in size. They came several times in a direction close upon us ; that is, 

 I believe within less than two miles. They began immediately after sun-rise 

 like a thick wood, and almost darkened the sun : his rays shining through 

 them for near an hour, gave them an appearance of pillars of fire. Our people 

 now became desperate, the Greeks shrieked out, and said it was the day 

 of .iudgment. Ismael pronounced it to be hell, and the Tucorories that the 

 world was on fire. I asked Idris if ever he had before s«en such a sight ? He 

 «aid he had often seen them as terrible, though never worse ; but what he 

 feared most was the extreme redness of the air, which was a sure presage of 

 the coming of the simoom. I begged and entreated Mris that he would not 

 eay one word of that in the hearing of the people, for they had already felt it 

 at Imhaosara, on their way from Rhs el Feel to Teawa, and again at the 

 Acaba of Gerri, before we came to Chendi, and they were already nearly di3» 

 tracted at the apprehension of finding it here. 



On the 16th, at half-past ten in the forenoon, we left El Mout, standing io 

 the direction close upon Syene. At eleven o'clock, while we contemplated 

 with pleasure the rugged top of Chiggne, to which we were fast approach. 



ff, and where we were to solace ourselves with plenty of gnod water, Idrjs 

 cried out with a loud voice, Fall upon your faces, for here is the simoom. I 

 saw from the south-east a haze come, in colour like the purple part of the 

 rainbow, but not so compressed or thick. It did not occupy twenty yards in 

 breadth, and was about twelve feet high from the ground. It was a kind of 

 blush upon the air, and it moved very rapidly, for I scarce could turn to fall 

 upon the ground with my head to the northward, when I felt the heat of itg 

 rurrent plainly upon ray face. We all l:iv H.il upon tlie ffnmnd, till Idris told 



