THE SOURCE OE THE NILE, 307 



earth, and feems to have been formed by the retiring of the 

 fea. At Loheia we had a very uneafy fenfation, a kind of 

 prickling came into our legs, which were bare, occafion- 

 ed by the fait effluvia, or fleams, from the earth, which all 

 about the town, and further to the fouth, is ftrongly impreg- 

 nated with that mineral. 



Fish, and butcher meat, and indeed all forts of provi- 

 sion, are plentiful and reafonable at Loheia, but the water 

 is bad. It is found in the fand at the foot of the mountains, 

 down the fides of which it has fallen in the time of the rain, 

 and is brought to the town in fkins upon camels. There is 

 alfo plenty of fruit brought from the mountains by the 

 Bedowe', who live in the fkirts of the town, and fupply it 

 with milk, firewood, and fruit, chiefly grapes and bananas. 



The government of the Imam is much more gentle 

 than any Moorifh government in Arabia or Africa; the 

 people too are of gentler manners, the men, from early 

 ages, being accuftomed to trade. The women at Loheia are 

 as folicitous to pleafe as thofe of the moll polifhed nations 

 in Europe ; and, though very retired, whether married or 

 unmarried, they are not lefs careful of their drefs arid 

 perfons. At home they wear nothing but a long fliift of 

 fine cotton-cloth, fuitable to their quality. They dye their 

 feet and hands with * henna, not only for ornament, but 

 as an ailringent, to keep them dry from fweat : they 

 wear their own hair, which is plaited, and falls in long tails 

 behind. 



Qjj 2 The 



I 1 11 -. -- - . I - j 1 II llll - ' 1- 



* Lrguflrum <*Egyptiacum Latifoliutn, 



