MEMOIR OP BRUCE. 
41 
hazard of being murdered by the Arab robbers ; and 
in one of the sepulchres at Thebes, he drew two 
ancient harps, which were preserved among his 
papers, and given to Mr. Burney to illustrate his 
History of Music. 
Two days after the canja had sailed from Luxor, 
it reached Sheik Amner, the encampment of the 
Arab tribe that extended from Cosseir on the Red 
Sea far into the desert which Bruce had to cross. 
He thought it politic to cultivate their friendship. 
The traveller and his party were well received by the 
old Sheik, called Nimmer (or the Tiger), who was 
very ill, and lying in the comer of his tent on a 
carpet. Brace prescribed soap pills, which afforded 
him great relief; after which the grateful veteran 
solemnly offered him his protection as far as Cosseir. 
By the advice of the “ Royal Tiger,” to whom for 
the first time he unfolded his retd design of pene- 
trating into Abyssinia, he was induced to take the 
route from Kenne to Cosseir ; thence to cross the 
Red Sea to Jidda in Arabia ; and from that port to 
sail direct for Massuah on the coast of Sennaar. 
Accordingly, on the 16th of February, 1769, he set 
out from Kenne, retracing his course down the Nile ; 
having previously visited the celebrated cataracts, 
which are about six miles from Assuan. Much to 
his surprise, he found that vessels could sail up the 
rapids, the river there being not half a mile broad, 
but divided into a number of small channels. 
The caravan, which he joined at Kenne, crossed 
