566 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
the earth), in this cafe, Alexandria being fuppofed to lye in 
long. 30°, Syene muft be in 30° likewife ; but Gooz being in - 
34°, it is impoflible that Syene can be wide a trifle north 
of Gooz; and therefore we muft havea much greater quan- 
tity of wefting to travel than Idris the Hybeer imagines, 
who places Syene a very. little weft of the meridian of 
Gooz, or immediately under the fame meridian, and due 
north from it | 
Our camels were always chained by the feet, and the © 
chain fecured by a padlock, left they fhould wander in the 
night, or be liable to be ftolen and carried off. Mufing — 
then upon the geographical dificulties juft mentioned, and 
gazing before me, without any particular intention or fuf- 
picion, I heard the chain of the camels clink, as if fome- 
body was unloofing them, and then, at the end of the gleam 
made by the fire, I faw diftin@tly a man pafs {wiftly by, floop- 
ing as he went along, his face almoft to the ground. A lit- 
tle time after this I heard another clink of the chain, as if 
from a pretty fharp blow, and immediately after a move- 
ment among the camels. I then rofe, and cried in a threaten- 
ing tone, in Arabic, “I charge you on your life, whoever 
you are, either come up to me directly, or keep at a diftance ~ 
till day, but come that way no more; why fhould you throw 
your life away?” In a minute after, he.repafled in the fhade 
among the trees, pretty much in the manner he had done 
before. As Iwas on guard between the baggage and the 
camels, I was confequently armed, and advanced deliberate- 
ly fome fteps, as far as the light of the fire fhone, on purpofe 
to difecover how many they were, and was ready to fire up- 
on the nextI faw. “If you are an honeft man, cried I aloud, 
and want any thing, come up to the fire and fear not, I am, 
I alone ; 
