THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 597 
than thofe that were at the ford, and they believe in nothing 
that you believe, but only in this river, to which they pray 
every day as if it were God ; but this perhaps you may do 
likewife.” Half undreffed as I was by lofs of my fath, and 
throwing my fhoes off, Iran down the hill towards the little: 
ifland of green fods, which was about two hundred yards 
diflant; the whole fide of the hill was thick grown over 
with flowers, the large bulbous roots of which appearing 
above the furface. of. the ground, and their fkins coming 
off on treading upon them, occafioned two very fevere 
falls before I reached the brink of the marfh; I after this 
came to: the ifland of green. turf, which was in form of 
an altar, apparently the work of art, and I ftood in rapture 
over the principal fountain which rifes in the middle of it. 
Ir is eafier to guefs than to defcribe the fituation of my 
mind at that moment—ftanding in that fpot which had baf- 
fled the genius, induitry, and inquiry of both ancients and 
moderns, for the courfe of near three thoufand years; Kings 
had attempted this difcovery at the head of armies, and 
each expedition was diftinguifhed from the laft, only by 
the difference of the numbers which had perifhed, and a- 
sreed alone mm the difappointment which had uniformly, 
and without exception, followed them all. Fame, riches, 
and honour, had been held out for a feries of ages to every 
individual of thofe myriads thefe princes commanded, with- 
out having produced one man capable of gratifying the 
curiofity of his fovereign, or wiping off this ftlain upon 
the enterprife and abilities of mankind, or adding this de- 
fideratum forthe encouragement of geography. Though 
a mere private Briton, I triumphed here, in my own mind, 
over kings and their armies; and every comparifon was. 
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