THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. $i 



I thanked him for this friendly offer, which I am per* 

 fuaded I might have accepted very fafely, but I contented 

 myfelf with defiring, that one of the Moor fervants in the 

 boat mould go to Cairo to fetch Mahomet Abou Cuni's fon's 

 cloaths, and agreed that I mould give five patakas additional 

 hire for the boat, on condition that Mahomet fhould go with 

 us in place of the Moor fervant, and that Abou Cun% the 

 father and faint (that never drank fermented liquors) mould 

 be allowed to fleep himfelf fober, till his fervant the Moor 

 returned from Cairo with his fon's cloaths., v 



In the mean time, I bargained -with the Shekh of the 

 Howadat to furnifh me with horfes to go to Metrahenny or 

 Mohannan, where once he faid Mimf had flood, a large city, 

 the capital of all Egypt. 



All this was executed with great fuccefs. Early in the 

 morning the Shekh of the Howadat had pafled at Miniel, 

 where there is a ferry, the Nile being very deep, and attend- 

 ed me with five horfemen and a fpare horfe for myfelf, at 

 Metrahenny, fouth of Miniel, where there is a great planta- 

 tion of palm-trees. 



The 13th, in the morning about eight o'clock, we let out 

 our vaft fails, and pafTed a very confiderable village called 

 Turra, on the eaft fide of the river, and Shekh Atman, a fmall 

 village, confifting of about thirty houfes, on the weft 



The mountains which run from the caftle to the eaftward 

 of fouth-eaft, till they are about five miles dift&nt from the 

 Nile eaft and by north of this ftation, approach again the 

 banks of the river, running in a direction fcutli and by 



G 2 weft, 



