THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 351 



you drink it is more naufeous than the tafte ; yet one of 

 thefe cifterns, cleaned and fhut up with a door, might afford 

 them wholefome fweet water all the year over. 



After the rains fall, a prodigious quantity of grafs im- 

 mediately fprings up ; and the goats give the inhahitahts 

 milk, which in winter is the principal part of their fubfift- 

 ence, for they neither plow nor fow. All their employ- 

 ment is to work the veffels which trade to the different 

 parts of the coaft. One half of the inhabitants is conftantly 

 on the Arabian fide, and by their labour is enabled to fur- 

 nifh with * dora, and other provifions, the other half who 

 flay at home ; and when their time is expired, they are re- 

 lieved by the other half, and fupplied with neceffaries in 

 their turn. But the fuftenance of the poorer fort is en- 

 tirely fhell and other fifli. Their wives and daughters are 

 very bold, and expert nfher-women. Several of them, en- 

 tirely naked, fwam off to our veffel before we came to an 

 anchor, begging handfuls of wheat, rice, or dora. They 

 are very importunate and flurdy beggars, and not eafily put 

 off with denials. Thefe mifcrable people, who live in the 

 villages not frequented by barks from Arabia, are foiue- 

 times a whole year without tailing bread. Yet fuch is the 

 attachment to the place of their nativity, they prefer living 

 in this bare, barren, parched fpot, almoft in want of neceiTa- 

 ries of every kind, efpecially of thefe effential ones, bread 

 and water, to thofe pleafant and plentiful countries on both 

 fides of them. This preference we mufl not call flrange, 

 for it is univerfal : A ftrong attachment to our native 



country. 



Millet, or Indian corn. 



