Five TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
plain their office and occupation. A Hybeer isa guide, 
from the Arabic word Hubbar, to. inform, inftruc, or direct, 
-becaufe they are ufed to do this office:to ‘the caravans tra- 
velling through the defert in all its directions, whether to 
Egypt and back again, the coaft of the Red Sea, or the coun- 
.tries of Sudan, and the weftern extremities of Africa. They 
are men of great confideration, knowing perfectly the fitua- | 
tion and properties of all kinds of water to be met on the 
route, the diftance of wells, whether occupied by enemies 
-or not, and, if fo, the way to avoid them with the leaft in- 
-convenience, Itis alfo neceflary to them to know the places 
occupied by the fimoom, and the feafons of their blow- - 
ing in thofe parts of the defert, likewife thofe occupied by — 
moving fands. He generally belongs to fome powerful 
tribe of Arabs inhabitmg thefe deferts, whofe protection he 
makes ufe of to affift his caravans, or protect them in time 
of danger, and handfome rewards were always in his 
power to diitribute on fuch occafions; but now that the 
Arabs in thefe deferts are everywhere Se government, 
athe trade between Abyfiinia and Cairo given over, that be- 
tween Sudan and that metropolis much diminifhed, the 
importance of that office of Hybeer, and its confideration, is — 
fallen in proportion, and with thefe the fafe conduct; and 
we fhall fee prefently a caravan cut off by the treachery of © 
the very Hybeers that conducted them, the firkt inftance of | 
- the kind that ever happened. 
‘Owe day, fitting in my tent mufing upon the very un- 
spromifing afpect of my affairs, an Arab of very ordinary ap- 
pearance, naked, with only a cotton cloth around his mid- 
dle, came up to me, and offered to conduct me to Barbar 
and thence to Egypt, He fad his houfe was at Daroo.on the. 
fide — 
