170 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
The weftern extremity of this lake is in the dominion of the 
Muggrebine Arabs, who pafs thither from El-wah el-ghurbi^ 
and other places, and who being there under no control, fuifer 
no perfon to travel thither, unlefs under their immediate protec- 
tion. This information, which I received not till my arrival at 
Feium, fruftrated my expe61:ations of reaching fome ruins which 
are faid to exift there. The Arab Shech of Abu-k'i[fe told me 
it would require four days to go round the lake, and return 
on the other fide. That there are no villages near it, nor any 
thing to be procured but from the Muggrebincs juft mentioned. 
On one of the ifles at the Eaftern extremity it is faid that human 
bones are fometimes found. 
From Feium travelled South-eaft. At Hawara are twO fmall 
pyramids of unburned brick, and another palTage through the 
mountain. The plain from Feium to the Nile is in excellent 
cultivation, chiefly wheat, then juft rifmg from the ground. 
Illahon is a town or large village, filled with perfons whofe 
chief employment is the culture of the foil. Pafl!ed the Babr^ 
hila-ma^ the channel of a large canal. Farther on is Bathen *, 
a long deep cut, fuppofed to be the artificial Mceris of Herodo- 
tus and Diodorus Siculus. 
Returned to Bedis. On the following day paffed the pyra- 
mids of Dafhur. Five appear fucceflively, exclufive of thofe 
of Sakarra. The third after thofe of Hawara^ already men- 
* Parallel to this is a narrow cut, called Bahr Yufliif, which runs into the 
Birket-Kerun. 
tioned, 
