and before I tailed food, which that day I had riot done,'
when they all intreated me with one voice that I would
confider the dangers I had efcaped, and, inftead o f turning
weft ward to Shaddly, continue north through Atbara.
They promtfed to bear fatigue and hunger chearfujly, and
to live and die with me, provided I would proceed hornet
ward, and free them from the horrors o f Sennaar and its
king. I did not feem to be convinced by what they Laid,
blit ordered fupper, to which we all fat down in company.
As we had lemons enough, and Hagi Belal had furnilhed
us with fugar, we opened a bottle o f his rack and in:
punch (the liquor o f our country) drank to a happy return
thro’ Atbara. I then told them my refolution was perfedt-
ly conformable to their w iih e s ; and informed them o f the
meafures I had taken to infure fuccefs and remove danger
as much as poflible. I recommended diligence, fobriety,
and fubordmation, as the only means o f arriving happily
at the end propofed ; and allured them all we ihould fliare
one common fare, and one common fortune, till our journey
was terminated by good or bad fuccefs. Never.was
any difcourfe more gratefully received ( every toil was welcome
in flying from Sennaar, and they already began to
think themfelves at the gates o f Cairo.
As I had recommended great diligence and little fleep,
before four in the morning the camels were loaded, and on
their way, and it was then only they came to awake me.
The camels were abundantly loaded, and we had then but
five, four o f which carried all the baggage, the other, a
fmaller one, was referved for my riding. This I told them
I w illin gly accepted at the beginning o f the journey, and
we Ihould all o f us take our turn, while water and provi-
3 fions
fions were to be procured, and that Ilmael the Turk, an old
man, and Georgis the Greek, almoft blind, required an additional
confideration, fo long as it poflibly could be done
with fefety. to us a l l ; but,' when we fliould advance to the
borders o f the defert, we muft all refolve to pafs that journey
on foot, as upon the quantity o f water, and the quantity
o f provifions alone, to be carried by us, could depend;
our hopes o f ever feeing home.
On the 8th o f September we left the village o f Solimán,
and about three o’clock in the afternoon came to Wed el
Tumbel, which is not a river, as the name would feem to
fignify, but three villages fituated upon á pool o f water,
nearly in a line from north to fouth. The intermediate
country between this and Herbági is covered with great
crops o f dora. T h e plain extends .as far as the light reaches.
Though there is not much wood, the country is not
entirely deftitute o f it, and the farthér you go from Sennaar
the finer the trees. At Wed el Tumbel there is great
plenty o f ebony-bulhes, and a particular fort o f thorn w hich
feems to be a fpecies o f dwarf acacia, with very fmall
■leaves, and long pods o f a ftrong feccharine tafte. This is.
here in great abundance, and is called Lauts, or Loto, w hich
I fufpedt to be the tree on whofe fruit, w e are told, the ancient
Libyans fed. At a quarter pall three we le ft Wed e l
TUmbel, and entered into a thick wood, in which we travelled
till late, when we came to the Nile. We continued
along the river for about 500 yards, and alighted at Sit el
Bet, a fmall village about a mile’s diftance from the ftream.
.Here weTaw the tomb o f a Shekh, or faint, built o f brick
in a conical form, much after the lame figure as fome we
, had feen in Barbary, which were o f Hone..
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