tSa TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
The road from Kahlra to Sennaar was the one I fhould have 
preferred j but the defolation and anarchy then prevaihng in 
Nubia, which had prevented me from paffing the former year, 
would not probably have allowed me better fuccefs in this, 
Befides, the city of Sennaar was then occupied by the flaves of 
the laft Mecque^ or king, who had depofed and put to death their 
mafter, and ftill continued to ufurp the government. By taking 
the route of Dar-Fur, I was taught to believe that I might hope 
for the advantages of a regular government ; and with proper 
management might expert every favour from the monarch. 
The local inconvenience of being fo much farther removed 
from Abyffinia was indeed obvious ; but on the other hand the 
choice of more than one route was, it feemed likely, thereby 
offered ; which, in a place where progrefs is fo uncertain, and 
contingencies fo numerous, would be a matter of no inconfider- 
able importance. 
At the moment of my return from Affuan to Affiut, the cara- 
van of jelabs from Dar-Fur, called Cafflet-es-Souddn* ^ the Soudan 
caravan, arrived at El-wah. It was then reported that the fale 
of their merchandize and flaves, of which they had no great 
quantity, would be completed in about two months, and that 
then they would return home. Their ftay, however, was pro- 
tradted during the whole of that winter ; and in the month of 
March 1793 they commenced their departure from Kahira for 
the Upper Egypt. They were flow in collecting all that was 
* Soudan in Arabic correfponds to our Nigritia, merely general words for the 
(outiiry of the blacks. 
necefliary 
