= ae 
THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 437 
» Tr was not till the eighth of May I had my audience of 
Shekh Adelan at Aira, which is three miles and a half from 
Sennaar; we walked out early in the morning, for the 
greateft part of the way along the fide of the Nile, which 
had no beauty, being totally divefted of trees, the bottom 
foul and muddy, and the edges of the water white with 
fmall concretions of calcarious earth, which, with the bright 
fun upon them, dazzled and affected our eyes very much. 
We then ftruck acrofs a large fandy plain without trees 
er bufhes, and canre to Adelan’s habitation ; two or three,. 
very confiderable houfes of one ftorey occupied the middle 
of a large fquare, each of whofe fides was at leaft half ofan — 
Englifh mile. Inftead of a wall to inclofe this fquare, was 
a high fence or impalement of ftrong reeds, canes, or ftalks 
- ef dora, (I do not know which) in fafcines ftrongly joined: 
together by ftakes and cords. On the outfide of the 
gate, on each hand, were fix houfes of a flighter conftruction. 
than the reft; clofe upon the fence were fheds where the fol- 
diers lay, the horfes picqueted before them with their 
heads turned towards the fheds, and their food laid before 
them on the ground ; above each foldier’s fleeping-place, co- 
vered only on the top and open in the fides, were hung a 
lance, a {mall oval fhield, and a large broad-fword. Thefe,. 
I underftood, were chiefly quarters for couriers, who bein g 
Arabs, were not taken into the court or fquare, but fhut out. 
at night. 
WirTHIN the gate was a number of horfes, with the fol: 
diers barracks behind them; they were all picqueted in 
ranks, their faces to their mafters barracks.. It was one of 
the fineft fights I ever faw of the kindy They were all above 
: } fixteen. 
