i 
THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 593 
werfed in the language of Beja, which is that of the Habab, 
Suakem, and Mafuah. I told them plainly, that, though { 
knew that language, I would not fuffer them to fpeak. 
any but Arabic, underftood by us all. They immediately 
complied, and then inquired about the pofition of Abou Ber- 
tran and his tribe of Bifhareen. This, too,] would not fuf- 
ferthe Arab to inform them of, but charged them, as he 
did alfo, to tell his wives that he was well, and ate and 
drank as we had done, and was within two days of arriving 
at Affouan, whence he fhould be returned to them with the 
rewards promifed. I then defired him to lay:a lance in a 
manner that the point fhould be towards Syene, which they 
accordingly did, and with a long needle of 12inches in a brafs 
box, having an arch of a few degrees marked on it, I, with 
‘the utmoft attention, took the direction from Haimer to 
Syene N. N. W. or more northerly. I-would very willingly 
have had it in my power to have made an obfervation of la- 
titude, but noon was paft; I contented myfelf, therefore, 
with keeping my route as diftin¢tly as poflible till the even- 
ing. 
At 40 minutes paft’'one o’clock we left Haimer, and our 
friends, the Ababdé, continued their route, after giving us 
great praife, as well for our civility, as our keeping the 
watch like men, as they exprefled it. At half paft eight we 
alighted at Abou Ferege, a place where there was very little 
werdure of any kind. Here, for the firft time on our jour- 
ney, we met with a cloudy fky, which effectually difap- 
pointed my obfervation of latitude ; but every noon and 
night I defcribed, in a rough manner, my courfe through 
the day, carrying always a compafs, with.a needle about five _ 
Von, IV. 4F anches 
