THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 669 
Tue clouds, drawn by the violent action of the fun, are 
condenfed, then broken, and fall as rain on the top of this 
high ridge, and fwell every river, while a wind from the 
ocean on: the eaft blows like a monfoon up each of thefe 
ftreams in a direction contrary to their current, during the 
whole time of the inundation, and this enables boats to af- 
cend into the weftern parts of Sofala, and the interior coun- 
try to the mountains, where lies the gold. The fame effect, 
from the fame caufe, is produced on the weftern fide towards 
the Atlantic; the high ridge of mountains being placed 
between the different countries weft and eaft, is at once 
the fource of their riches, and of thofe rivers which con- 
duct to the treafures which would be otherwife inacceflible 
in the eaftern parts of the kingdoms of Benin, Congo, and 
Angola. | 
Tuere are three remarkable appearances attending the 
inundation of the Nile; every morning in Abyflinia is clear, 
and the fun fhmes. About nine,a {mall cloud, not above 
four feet broad, appears in the eaft, whirling violently round 
as if upon an axis, but, arrived near the zenith, it firft abates 
its motion, then lofes its form, and extends itfelf greatly, and 
feems to call up vapours from all oppofite quarters. Thefe 
clouds having attained nearly the fame height, rufh againtt 
each other with great violence, and put me always in 
mind of Klifha foretelling rainon Mount Carmel*. The air, 
impelled before the heavieit mafs, or (wifteft mover, makes 
an impreifion of its own form in the collection of clouds 
oppofite, and the moment it has taken poficilion of the fpace 
made 
* y Kings, chap. xviii. ver. 43. 
