THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 459 



which the natives and traders at this day call Tibbar. Next 

 came a pack of 24,000 Indian dogs, all Afiatics, from the 

 peninfula of India, followed by a prodigious number of fo- 

 reign animals, both beads and birds, paroquets, and other 

 birds of Ethiopia, carried in cages ; 130 Ethiopian fheep, 300 

 Arabian, and 20 from the Ifle Nubia* ; 26 Indian buffaloes, 

 white as fnow, and eight from Ethiopia ; three brown bears, 

 and a white one, which laft mufl have been from the north 

 of Europe ; 1 4 leopards, 1 6 panthers, four lynxes, one giraf* 

 fa, and a rhinoceros of Ethiopia. 



When we reflect upon this prodigious mixture of ani- 

 mals, all fo eafily procured at one time, without preparation, 

 we may imagine, that the quantity of merchandises, for 

 ■common demand, which accompanied them, mufl have been 

 in the proper proportion. 



The current of trade ran towards Alexandria with the 

 greatefl impetuofity, all the articles of luxury of the Eafl 

 were to be found there. Gold and filver, which were fent 

 -formerly to Tyre, came now down to the Iflhmus (for Tyre 

 was no more) by a much fhorter carriage, thence to Mem- 

 phis, whence it was fent down the Nile to Alexandria. The 

 gold from the weft and fouth parts of the Continent reached 

 the fame port with much lefs time and rifk, as there was 

 now no Red Sea to pafs ; and here was found the merchan- 

 dife of Arabia and India in the greatefl prof uflon. 



3 M 2 To 



*This is probably from Atbara, or the old name of the ifland cf Me roe, which bad received 

 that lafi: name only as late as Camby&s. 



