THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 425 
mnents of the parapets remained, and the bridge itfelf feem- 
ed to bear the appearance of frequent repairs, and many at- 
tempts toruin it; otherwife, in its conftruction, it was ex- 
ceedingly commodious. The Nile here is confined between 
two rocks, and runs in a deep trough, with great roaring and 
impetuous velocity. We were told no crocodiles were ever 
feen fo high, and were obliged to remount the ftream above 
half a mile before we came to the cataract, through trees 
and bufhes of the fame beautiful and delightful appearance 
with thofe we had feen near Dara. 
Tue cataract itfelf was the moft magnificent fight that 
ever I beheld. The height has been rather exaggerated. 
The miffionaries fay the fall is about fixteen ells, or fifty 
feet. The meafuring is, indeed, very difficult, but, by the 
pofition of long fticks, and poles of different lengths, at dif- 
ferent heights of the rock, from the water’s edge, I may 
venture to fay that it is nearer forty feet than any other 
meafure. The river had been confiderably increafed by 
‘rains, and fell in one fheet of water, without any interval, 
above half an Englifh mile in breadth, with a force and 
noife that was truly terrible, and which ftunned and made 
‘me, for a time, perfectly dizzy. Athick fume, or haze, co- 
ered the fall all round, and hung over the courfe of the 
ftream both above and below, marking its track, though 
‘the water was not feen. The river, though {welled with 
rain, preferved its natural clearnefs, and fell, as far as I could 
-difcern, into a deep pool, or bafon, in the folid rock, which 
was full, and in twenty different eddies to the very foot of 
the precipice, the ftream, when it fell, feeming part of it 
4o run back with great fury upon the rock, as well as for- 
Vor. HI. 3H ward 
