THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 189 



Cosseir is a fmall mud-walled village, built upon the 

 more, among hillocks of floating fand. It is defended by a 

 fquare fort of hewn Hone, with fquare towers in the angles, 

 which have in them three fmall cannon of iron, and one of 

 brafs, all in very bad condition ; of no other ufe but to 

 terrify the Arabs, and hinder them from plundering the 

 town when full of corn, going to Mecca in time of famine. 

 The walls are not high ; nor was it neceflary,. if the great 

 guns were in order. But as this is not the cafe,, the ram- 

 parts are heightened by clay, or by mud-walls, to fcreen. 

 the foldiers from the fire-arms of the Arabs, that might, 

 otherwife command them from the fandy hills in the neigh- 

 bourhood. 



There are feveral wells of brackifh water on the N. W. 

 of the caflle, which, for experiment's fake, I made drinkable,, 

 by filtering it through fand ; but the water in ufe is brought 

 from Terfowey, a good day's journey off. 



The port, if we may call it fo, is on the fouth-eafl of the 

 town. It is nothing but a rock which runs out about four 

 hundred yards into the fea, and defends the veflels, which- 

 ride to the weft of it r from the north and north-eafl winds,. 

 as the houfes of the town cover them from the north-well. 



There is a large inclofure with a high mud-wall, and, 

 within, every merchant has a mop or magazine for his. 

 corn and merchandife : little of this lafl is imported, unlefs 

 eoarfe India goods, for the confnmption of Upper Egypt 

 itfelf, fince the trade to Dongola and Sennaar has been in- 

 terrupted. 



I HAD 



