THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 19 
ftraight acrofs the bay, but fomewhat more by land. The 
paflage from the main is on the north fide of the ifland, 
which is not above a quarter of a mile broad; there is a 
large ciftern for rain-water on the land-fide, where you em- 
bark acrofs. He was poorly attended by three or four fer- 
vants, miferably mounted, and about forty naked favages 
on foot, armed with fhort lances and crooked knives. 
‘Tue drum beat before him all the way from Arkeeko to 
Mafuah. Upon entering the boat, the drum on the land- 
fide ceafed, and thofe, in what is called the Cafe of Mafuzh, 
began. The caftle is a fmall clay hut, and in it one {wivel- 
gun, which is not mounted, but lies upon the ground, and 
is fired always with great trepidation and fome danger. The 
drums are earthen jars, fuch as they fend butter in to Ara- 
bia; the mouths of which are covered with a fkin, fo that 
a ftranger, on feeing two or three of thefe together, would 
run a great rifk of believing them to be jars of butter, or 
pickles, carefully covered with oiled parchment. 
Aut the proceflion was in the fame ftile. The Naybe 
was dreffed in an old fhabby Turkith habit, much too fhort 
for him, and feemed to have been made about the time of 
SultanSelim. He were alfo upon his head a Turkith cowke, 
or high-cap, which fcarcely admitted any part of his head. 
In this drefs, which on him had a truly ridiculous appear- 
ance, he received the ‘caftan, or inveftiture, of the ifland of 
Mafuah ; and, being thereby reprefentative of the grand 
fignior, confented that day to be ‘called Omar Aga, in ho- 
nour of the commiflion. 
\ 
G2 je cay add ‘Two 
