i66 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



like Ali Bey, nor at Syene a man of his prudence, and capa- 

 city in commanding ; but having no bufinefs at Deir 

 and Ibrim, I mould not rifk finding them in another hu- 

 mour, exercifing other powers than thofe he allowed them 

 to have." 



The 26th we embarked at the north end of the town, in 

 the very fpot where I again took boat above three years 

 afterwards. We now no longer enjoyed the advantage of 

 our prodigious main- fail ; not only our yards were lowered, 

 but our malts were taken out ; and we floated down the 

 current, making the figure of a wreck. The current, pufh- 

 ing againfl one of our fides, the wind directly contrary, 

 prefiing us on the other, we went down broad fide foremoft ; 

 but fo fleadily, as fcarce to be fenfible the veffel was in mo- 

 tion. 



In the evening I ftopt at Shekh Ammer, and faw my pa- 

 tient Nimmer, Shekh of the Ababde. I found him greatly 

 better, and as thankful as ever ; I renewed my prefcriptions, 

 and he his offers of fervice. 



I was vifited, however, with a pretty fmart degree of 

 fever by hunting crocodiles on the Nile as I went down, 

 without any poifibility of getting near them. 



On the 31ft of January we arrived at Negade, the 

 fourth fettlementof the Francifcan friars in Upper Egypt,for 

 the pretended million of Ethiopia. I found it to be in lat. 

 2 5° 53' 3°"' ft 1S a f^nall neat village, covered with palm- 

 trees, and moftly inhabited by Cophts, none of whom the 

 friars have yet converted, nor ever will, unlefs by fmall 



penfionsj 



