THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 377 



then eaft, taking the form of the Arabian Gulf; after 

 which, it continues fouthward all along the Indian Ocean, 

 in the fame manner as it did in the beginning all along, 

 the Red Sea, that is parallel to the coafl. 



Their tradition fays, that, terrified with the late dread- 

 ful event the flood, ftill recent in their minds, and appre- 

 heniive of being again involved in a fimilar calamity, they 

 chofe for their habitation caves in the fides of thefe moun- 

 tains, rather than trull themfelves again on the plain. It 

 is more than probable, that, foon after their arrival, meet- 

 ing here with the tropical rains, which, for duration, ftill 

 exceed the days that occafioned the flood, and obferving, 

 that going through Atbara, that part of Nubia between the 

 Nile and Aflaboras, afterwards called Meroe, from a dry cli- 

 mate at firft, they had after fallen in with rains, and as thofe 

 rains increafed in proportion to their advancing fouthward, 

 they chofe to flop at the firfl mountains, where the country 

 was fertile and pleafant, rather than proceed farther at the 

 rifk of involving themfelves, perhaps in a land of floods, 

 that might prove as fatal to their poflerity as that of Noah 

 had been to their anceflors. 



This is a conjecture from probability, only mentioned 

 for illuflration, for the motives that guided them cannot 

 certainly be known; but it is an undoubted fact, that here the 

 Cufhites, with unparalleled induflry, and with inflruments 

 utterly unknown to us, formed for themfelves commodi- 

 ous, yet wonderful habitations in the heart of mountains 

 of granite and marble, which remain entire in great num- 

 bers to this day, and promife to do fo till the confummation 

 of all things. This original kind of dwellings foon ex- 



Vol. I. 3 B tended 



