THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 54x 
three under the fame meridian; let us then confefs, as. 
we mutt, that both thefe obfervations are erroneous. 
Bur let us fuppofe that the firft will make the latitude of 
Meroé to be 17° 20, and the fecond 16° 4o’; taking then a 
medium of thefe two bad obfervations, as is the practice in 
all fuch cafes, we fhall find the latitude of Meroé to be 16° 
30’, only 4’ difference from.the obfervation of Ptolemy. - 
-Vosius-*,. among. a multitude of errors he has commit-- 
ted reece to the Nile, denies that there are any: iflands: 
in that river. The reader will’ be long ago fatisfied from 
our hiftory, that this is: without fOidadion: feeing that: 
- from the ifland of Rhoda, where ftands the Mikeas, to the 
ifland of Curgos, which we have juft now mentioned, we- 
have defcribed feveral.. He would indeed infinuate, that: 
Meroé, or Atbara; is not an ifland; but a peninfula, though : 
it is well: known in hiftory thefe:words are conftantly ufed 
as fynonimous ; but were it not fo, Meroé fcarcely ftands 
in need of this excufe.. If the reader will caft ‘his eye upon 
the map, he: will fee two''rivers, the Rahad and Tocoor, 
that almoft"mect im tat. 12°40’ north... Acrofs the peninfula, 
left by thefe rivers, is a {mall ftripe called Falaty, running in. 
a-contrary direction from the general courfe of rivers in 
_ this country, that is from eaft to’ welt, though: part of it in 
dry weather is hid in the fand, and this river makes 2 
xa:a complete ifland in time of rain. 
' SIMONIDES® 
® De. orig, flums cap. XVla ps 5% 
