THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. kjg- 



makes fuch a noife and difturbed appearance, that it filla 

 the mind with confufion rather than with terror. 



We faw the miferable Kennoufs (who inhabit the 

 banks of the river tip into Nubia, to above the fecond 

 cataract) to procure their daily food, lying behind rocks,, 

 with lines in their hands, and catching fifh \ they did not 

 feera to be either dexterous or fuceefsful in the fport. 

 They are not black, but of the darkefl brown ; are not 

 woolly-headed, but have hair. They arefmall, light, agile 

 people, and feem to be more than half-ftarved. I made a 

 iign that I wanted to {peak with one of them ; but feeing 

 me furrounded with a number of horfe and fire-arms, they 

 did not choofe to truft themfelves. I left my people behind 

 with my firelock, and went alone to fee if I could engage 

 them in a converfation. At firft they walked off; finding 

 I perfified in following them, they ran at full fpeed, and. 

 hid themfelves among the rocks. . 



Pliny* fays, that, in his time, the city of Syeue was fitu- 

 a F .ed fo directly under the tropic of Cancer, that there was > 

 a well, into which the fun fhone fo perpendicular, that if 

 was enlightened by its rays down to the bottom. Strabo f 

 had faid the fame. The ignorance, or negligence, in the 

 Geodefique meafure in this obfervation, is extraordinary ; 

 Egypt had been meafu red yearly, from early ages, and the 

 diftance between Syene and Alexandria fhould. have been 

 known to an ell. From this inaccuracy, I do very much 

 fufpect the other meafure Eratofthenes is faid to have made, 

 by which he fixed the fun's parallax at 10 feconds and a 

 v..i. u half/ 



* Plinv, lib, ii, cap. 73. f Strabo, lib, x?ii. p. 944, . 



