504 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
inches radius, round my neck, by a lace, and refting in 
my pocket. Ithus found that we had kept the line directly 
upon Syene, which the Ababdé Arab had fhewed us. 
On the 26th, at half after fix in the morning we fet out 
from Abou Ferege, continuing nearly in the fame direction 
upon Syene till eleven o’clock, when, for the purpofe of 
obfervation only, I alighted at a place called Abou Here- 
gi, without water, grafs, or food tor our camels. We were 
exceedingly averfe to exertions, and became fo weak and 
fpiritlefs, that ic was not poflible to prevail upon our people 
to take the large quadrant out of its cheft to put it together, 
and prepare it for obfervation. I therefore took a Hadley’s 
quadrant, with a mixture I had made, which ferved me bet- 
ter than quick-filver, and made my obfervation by refletion 
at Abou Heregi, and found it in lat. 23°, from which I infer- 
red, with fome degree of comfort to myfelf, that the longi- 
tude of Syene in the French maps is ill laid down, and that 
we were now in the direction upon Syene, had no wefting 
to run down, but the journey muft finifh in a very few days.. 
Ar two o'clock in the afternoon we left Abou Heregi, 
and at four had an unexpected entertainment, which filled 
our hearts with a very fhort-lived joy. The whole plain 
before us feemed thick-covered with green grafs and yel- 
low daifies. We advanced to the place with as much fpeed’ 
as our lame condition would fuffer us, but how terrible was 
our difappointment, when we found the whole of that ver- 
dure to confift in fennaand coloquintida, the moft naufeous — 
of plants, and the moft incapable of being fubftituted as food. 
for man or beaft. At nine o'clock in the evening we alight- 
ed at Safficha, which is a ridge of craggy mountains to the 
