520. «=. TRAVLES TODISCOVER 
the fun is in the zenith, on his progrefs fouthward from 
the tropic of Cancer towards the Line, and the grafs grows 
up very luxuriantly in all the {pots watered by thefe acci- 
dental fhowers ; but all the reft of the country is dry and 
burnt up. 
Near Gerri, a little north, is the large rock Acaba, full 
of caves, the firft habitations of the builders of Meroé. A 
little below it is the ferry over which thofe who go by the 
weft fide of the Nile to Dongola, through the defert of Ba- _ 
hiouda, muft all pafs. It is five days journey before you 
come to Korti, where travellers arrive the morning of the 
fixth, thatis, going at the rate of fifteen miles a-day. Near 
Korti you again meet the Nile, which has taken a very unna- 
tural turn from Magiran, or where it meets the Tacazzé from 
Angot, The way through this defert, which was that of Pon- 
cet, is now rendered impaffable, as I have already faid, by - 
the Beni Faifara, Beni Gerar, and Cubba-beefh Arabs, three 
powerful clans, which come from the weftward near Kor- 
dofan from fear of the black horfe there, and which have 
taken pofleffion of all the wells in that defert, fo that it is 
impoflible for travellers to avoid them. The Cubba-beefh 
are fo called, from kebfh*, a fheep, becaufe they wear the 
ikin of that animal for cloathing. They are very numerous, 
and extend far into the great defert Selima and to the frontiers 
of Egypt. Thefe tribes have cut off the laft three caravans co- 
ming from Dongola and Egypt. This ferry, and the Acaba 
beyond it, belongs to Wed Ageeb; and here all goods, paff- 
ing to and from Egypt, Dongola, and Chendi, pay a duty, 
3 which 
~ 
* Kebth, a theep; pl. Cubba-beeth, theep. : 
