THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. *$ 



There is nothing beautifuFor pleafant in the prefent Alex- 

 andria, but a handfome ilreet of modern honfes, where a 

 very active and intelligent number of merchants live upon 

 the miferable remnants of that trade, which made its glory- 

 in the firft times, 



It is thinly inhabited, and there is a tradition among the 

 natives, that, more than once,, it has been in agitation to -a- 

 bandon it all together, and retire to Rofetto, or -Cairo, but 

 that they have been withheld by the opinion of divers faints 1 

 from Arabia, who have allured them, that Mecca being.de- 

 Itroyed, (as it muft be as they think. by the Ruffians) Alex- 

 andria is then to become the holy places, and that Mahomet's 

 body is to be tranfported thither ; when that city is dd~ 

 ftroyed, the fanctiiied reliques are to be tranfported to Cai~ 

 rouan,in the kingdom of Tunis : laftly, from Cairouan they 

 are to come to Rofetto, and there to remain till the con- 

 f animation of all .things, which is not then to be at a greafe 

 diftance* 



Ptolemy places his Alexandria in lat, 30 31 * and in roundU 

 ^ numbers in his almagefl, lat. 31 ° north. 



Our Profeflbr, Mr Greaves, one. of whofe errands into 

 Egypt was to afcertain the latitude of this place, feems yet, 

 from fome caufe or other, to have failed in it, for though 

 ae had a brafo fextant of five feet radius, he makes the la- 

 titude of Alexandria, from a mean of many obfervations, to 

 be lat 31 ° 4 ; N. whereas the French aftronomers from the 

 Academy of Sciences have fettled it at 3 1 ° 1 1 ' 20", fo between^ 

 Mr Greaves and the French there is a difference of ? 7 2o y/ , 

 which is too much, There is not any thing, in point of . 



iituationj.. 



