THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 227 



name but JMel 9 the rock, ifland, or mountain, in general. 

 You fhould not come within three full leagues of that rock, 

 but leave it at a diftance to the weftward. You will then 

 fee fhoals, which form a pretty broad channel, where you 

 have foundings from fifteen to thirty fathoms. And again, 

 ftanding on directly upon Tor, you have two other oval 

 fands with funken rocks, in the channel, between which 

 you are to fleer. All your danger is here in light, for you 

 might go in the infide, or to the eaftward, of the many 

 fmall iilands you fee toward the fhore; and there are the 

 anchoring places of the Cairo vefTels, which are marked 

 with the black anchor in the draught. This is the courfe 

 bell known and practifed by pilots for mips of all fizes. But 

 by a draught of Mr Niebuhr, who went from Suez with 

 Mahomet Rais Tobal, his track with that large fhip was 

 through the channels, till he arrived at the point, where 

 Tor bore a little to the northward of eafl of him. 



Tor may be known at a diftance by two hills that ftand 

 near the water fide, which, in clear weather, may be feen 

 fix leagues off. Juft to the fouth-eaft of thefe is the town 

 and harbour, where there are fome palm-trees about the 

 -houfes,the moreremarkable,thatthey are the firlt you fee on 

 the coaft. There is no danger in going into Tor harbour, 

 the foundings in the way are clean and regular ; and by 

 giving the beacon a fmall birth on the larboard hand, you 

 may haul in a little to the northward, and anchor in iive 

 or fix fathom. The bottom of the bay is not a mile from the 

 beacon, and about the fame diftance from the oppofite fhore. 

 There is no fenfible tide in the middle of the Gulf, but, by 

 the fides, it runs full two knots an hour. At fprings, it is 

 high water at Tor nearly at twelve o'clock. 



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