530 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER Bate 
miftrefs, of Chendi, or Chandi. However this may be, 
Chendi was once a town of great refort. The caravans. of 
Sennaar, Egypt, Suakem, and Kordofan, all were in ufe to® - 
rendezvous here, efpecially fince the Arabs have cut off the 
road by Dongola, and the defert of Bahiouda ; and though 
it be not now a place of great plenty, yet every thing here 
is at a cheaper rate, and better than at Sennaar; we muft 
except the article fuel, for wood is much dearer here than 
in any part of Atbara; the people all burn camels dung. 
Indeed, were it not for dreffing victuals, fire in a place fo 
hot as this would be a nuifance. It was fo fultry in the 
end of Auguft and beginning of September, that. many 
people dropt down dead with heat, both in the town and 
villages round it; but it is now faid to be much cooler, 
though the dermonister at noon was once fo high as 
LIQ’. 
CuEnpr has in it about 250 houfes, which are not all 
built contiguous, fome of the beft of them being feparate;. 
and that of Sittina’s is- half a mile from the town, ~ 
There are two or three tolerable ‘houfes, but the reft of 
them are miferable hovels, built of clay and reeds.  Sit- 
tina gave us one of thefe houfes, which I ufed for keep- 
ing my inftruments and baggage from being pilfered or 
broken; I flept abroad in the tent, and it was even there 
hot enough.. The women of Chendi are efteemed the moft 
beautiful im Atbara, and the men the greateft cowards, 
This is the character they bear among their countrymen,. 
but we had little opportunity of verifying either.. 
On our arrival: at- Chendi we found the people very 
much alarmed at a phenomenon, which, though it often 
oe p wisiedag happens,, — 
