94 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



tains on the eaft run in a parellel direction with the river, 

 and are not three miles diflant. 



We paffed Deirout on the eaft iide, and another called Zo- 

 hor,in the fame quarter, furrounded with palms; then Sirade 

 on the eaft fide alfo, where is a wood of the Acacia, which 

 feems very luxuriant ; and, though it was now December, 

 and the mornings efpecially very cold, the trees were in 

 full flower, We palled Monfalout, a large town on the 

 weftern fhore. It was once an old Egyptian town, and place 

 of great trade ; it was ruined by the Romans, but re-efta- 

 blifhed by the Arabs. 



An Arabian \ author fayo, that, digging under the foun- 

 dation of an old Egyptian temple here, they found a croco- 

 dile made of lead, with hieroglyphics upon it, which they 

 imagine to be a talifman, to prevent crocodiles from palling 

 further. Indeed, as yet, we had not feen any ; that animal 

 delights in heat, and, as the mornings were very cold, he 

 keeps himfelf to the fouthward. The valley of Egypt here 

 is about eight miles from mountain to mountain. 



We paffed Siout, another large town built with the re r 

 mains of the ancient city f Ifiu. It is fome miles in land, 

 upon the fide of a large califh, over which there is an an- 

 cient bridge. This was formerly the ftation of the caravan 

 for Sennaar. They affembled at Monfalout and Siout, un- 

 der the protection of a Bey refiding there. They then pafs- 

 ed nearly fouth-weft, into the fandy defert of Libya, to El 



Wah, 



* MeffoudL f Itin. Anton, p. 14. 



