48 . TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
banks of the Nile, and took poffeffion in a line of about 600 
yards of ground. 
From the time we decamped from Coga it poured incef- 
fantly the moft continued rain we ever had yet feen, violent 
‘claps of thunder followed clofe one upon another, almoft 
without interval, accompanied with fheets of lightning, 
which ran on the ground like water; the day was more 
than commonly dark, as in an eclipfe; and every hollow, or 
foot-path, collected a quantity of rain, which fell into the 
‘Nile in torrents. It would have brought into the dulleft 
mind Mr Hume’s ftriking lines on my native Carron— 
Red ran the river down, and loud and oft 
The angry fpirit of the water fhriek’d. 
DoucGtas. 
Tue Abyflinian armies pafs the Nile at all feafons. It rolls 
with it no trees, ftones, nor impediments; yet the fight of 
fuch a monftrous mafs of water terrified me, and made me 
think the idea of crofling would be laid afide. It was plain 
in the face of every one, that they gave themfelves over 
for loft; an univerfal dejeG@tion had taken place, and it was 
but ioo vifible that the army was defeated by the weather, 
without having feen an enemy. The Greeks crowded a- 
round me, all forlorn and defpairing, curfing the hour they 
had firft entered that country, and following thefe curfes 
with fervent prayers, where fear held the place of devotion. 
A cold and brifk gale now fprung up at N. W. with a clear 
fun; and {oon after four,when the army arrived on the banks 
of the Nile, thefe temporary torrents were all fubfided, the 
3 fun 
