136 TRAVELS TO DSCOVETt 



We found our Rais full of fears for us. He had been 

 told, that, as foon as day light mould appear, the whole 

 Troglodytes were to come down to the river, in order to 

 plunder and deftroy our boat. 



This night expedition at the mountains was but partial, 

 the general attack was referved for next day. Upon hold* 

 ing council, we were unanimous in opinion, as indeed we 

 had been during the whole courfe of this voyage. We 

 thought, fince our enemy had left us to-night, it would be 

 our fault if they found us in the morning. Therefore, 

 without noife, we call off our rope that fattened us, and let 

 eurfelves over to the other fide. About twelve at night a 

 gentle breeze began to blow, which wafted us up to Luxor, 

 where there was a governor, for whom I had letters. 



From being convinced by the fight of Thebes, which had 

 not the appearance of ever having had walls, that the fable 

 of the hundred gates, mentioned by Homer, was mere in- 

 vention, I was led to conjecture what could be the origin of 

 that fable. 



That the old inhabitants of Thebes lived in caves in 

 the mountains, is, I think, without doubt, and that the 

 hundred mountains I have fpoken of, excavated, and adorn- 

 ed, were the greateft wonders at that time, feems equally 

 probable. Now, the name of thefe to this day is Beeban el 

 Meluke, the ports or gates of the kings, and hence, perhaps, 

 come the hundred gates of Thebes upon which the Greeks 

 have dwelt fo .much. Homer never faw Thebes, it was de- 

 molifhed before the days of any profane writer, either in 

 profe or verfe. What he added to its hiftory muft have been 

 from imagination. 



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