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656 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
the Guba, Nuba, and Shangalla, it is ftiled Kowafs, both 
which names fignify a watching dog, the latrator anubis, or, 
the dog-far. In the plain country, between Fazuclo and 
Sennaar, it is called Nil, which fignifies J/e; and the Arabs 
interpret it by the word Azergue, which it keeps as far as 
Halfaia, or near it, where it joins the White River. . 
Tue next name by which the Nile went was Siris: Pliny 
tells us it was called Siris both before and after it came into 
Beja. “ Nec ante Nilus, quam fe totum aguis concordibus rurfus junxit. 
“ Sic guogue etiamnum Siris, ut ante nominatus per aliquot millia, et in 
* totum Flomero Egyptus, aliifque Triton*.” This name the Greeks 
thought was given to it, becaufe of its black colour during 
the inundation, which miftake prefently produced confu- 
fion ; and we find, according to this idea, the compiler of 
the Old Teftament, (I fhould fuppofe Efdras, after the capti- 
vity) has tranflated Siris, the black river, by the Hebrew, Shihor; 
but nobody ever faw the Nile black when it overflowed ; 
and it would be a very ftrong figure to call it fo in Egypt, 
where it is always white during the whole of the inun- 
dation. Had Efdras, or whoever it was that followed the 
Greek interpretation of Siris, viz. é/ack, inquired in Beja what 
was the origin of this name, they would have there learn- 
ed it imported the River of the Dog-ftar, on whofe vertical 
appearance this Nile, or Siris, overflows; and this idolatrous 
worfhip, paid to the Nile, was probably part of the reafon 
of the queftion the prophet Jeremiah afks +, “ And what haft 
“ thou to do in Egypt, to drink the water of Seir? or the 
“ water profaned by idolatrous rites ?” 
As 
* Plin, Nat, Hitt, lib, vy. cap. 9. + Jerem. chap. ii, ver. xviil. 
