512 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
are covered with wood. (We now no longer faw any corn 
fown: The people here were at the fame miferable employ- 
ment as thofe we had feen before, that.of gathering gra{s- 
‘feeds; yet, though ftarving, they brought us plenty of 
_ milk in exchange for tobacco, a commodity very much in 
requeft in thefe parts. At half paft ten we arrived at Gi- 
did; the houfes were built of clay, with terrafled roofs; on 
our way we paffed through feveral little cantonments of 
Nuba. All this country is fand, interfperfed with thick cop- 
pices and acacia-trees that feemed not to thrive. On the o- 
_ ther fide are large, dead, fandy plains, but both fides of the 
river are covered with wood. The ferry over,the Nile is 
here from the weft to the eaft. The country about Gidid, 
efpecially to the weftward, is very bare and barren, and 
{carcely produces any thing faving grafs and bent, of which 
the poor people ufe the feed for bread. This is the cafe all 
to the weftward of El-aice ; and the country here, for want 
of rain, is faft dwindling into a defert, and the foilis chan- | 
ged to fand. There is no corn, though, from the vicinity 
of two large rivers, it produces grafs enough for cattle, 
fheep, and goats, and there is as yet plenty of milk: butas 
foon.as the fun fhines conftantly, no herbage will remain 
that can be food for any other cattle but goats, and at laf 
the whole becomes a perfect defert, capable of nourifhing 
nothing but antelopes and oftriches. 
On the arft, at feven in the morning ‘we left Gidid, and 
near threé miles further we came to the paflage, and def- 
—cended along way with the current before welanded. The 
manner they pafs the camels at this ferry is by faftening 
cords under théir hind. quarters, and then tying a halter to 
their heads. Two men fuftain thefe cords, and a third the 
4 halter, 
