2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



This ifland is not in our courfe for Alexandria, but lies to 

 the northward of it ; nor had I, for my own part, any curi- 

 ofity to fee it. My mind was intent upon more uncommon, 

 more diftant, and more painful voyages. But the mailer 

 of the venel had bufinefs of his own which led him thither; 

 with this I the more readily complied, as we had not yet got 

 certain advice that the plague had ceafed in Egypt, and it 

 Hill wanted fome days to the Feftival of St John, which is, 

 f nppofed to put a period to that cruel diftemper *. 



We obferved a number of thin, white clouds, moving with, 

 great rapidity from fouth to north, in direct oppofition 

 to the courfe of the Etefian winds ; thefe were immenfely 

 high. It was evident they came from the mountains of A- 

 byffinia, where, having difcharged their weight of rain, and 

 being prelTed by the lower current of heavier air from the 

 northward, they had mounted to poflefs the vacuum, and re- 

 turned to reflore the equilibrium to the northward, whence 

 they were to come back, loaded with vapour from Mount 

 Taurus, to occaiion the overflowing of the Nile, by breaking 

 againfl the high and rugged mountains of the fouth. 



Nothing could be more agreeable to me than that light, 

 and the reafoning upon it. I already, with pleafure, antici- 

 pated the time in which I mould be a fpeclator firft, after- 

 wards hiftorian, of this phenomenon, hitherto a myflery 

 through all ages. I exulted in the meafures I had taken,, 

 which I flattered myfelf, from having been digefted with 

 greater cohfideration than thofe adopted by others, would 



fecure 



* The nu&a, or dew, that falls on St John's night, is fuppofed to have the virtue to flop the 

 plagae. I have confidered this in the feqaek *a*m^ 



US! 



