142 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
of the river among numerous ifles and rocks of granite, which 
obftrud: the current. Far from deafening the fpedator, the 
noife is hardly audible. 
Near the catarad I obferved fome black rocks ; but whether 
of bafaltes, or any other fubftance, the diftance prevented me 
from diftinguifhing. It is well known that many of the antient 
ftatues and engraved ftones found in Egypt are of that mate- 
rial, but it is believed to have been drawn from Abyffinia. I 
obferved no quarries of bafaltes either in Egypt or the other 
parts of Africa which I vifited. 
At Affuan I remained three days, contriving, if poffible, 
to purfue my route up the Nile. But a war having arifen 
between the Mamluks of Upper Egypt and the Cafhef of 
Ibrim, no one was fuffered to pafs from Egypt to Nubia. 
The caravans had all been flopped for many months, and not 
even a camel could be procured. At Kahira I could attain 
no previous knowlege of this war having originated with the 
fugitive Beys. 
With deep regret for the difappointment in my earneft 
wifh of proceeding to Abyffinia by this route, I was con- 
ftrained to abandon all hope for that feafon, and to think of 
returning. 
Left AfTuan the 4th of November 1792, and proceeding ra- 
pidly down the Nile, arrived at Ghenne on the 7th. 
