W h i l e the camels were loading, I bathed myfelf with infinite
pleafure. for a long h a lf hour in the Nile, and thus
took leave o f my old acquaintance, very doubtful i f we
ihould ever meet again. We then turned our face to N. E.
leaving the Nile, and entering into a bare defert o f fixed
gravel, without trees, and o f a very difagreeable'whitiih colour,
mixed with fmall pieces o f white marble, and pebbles
lik e alabafter. At a quarter paft four we alighted in a fpot
o f high bent grafs, where we let our camels feed till eight
o’clock, and at three quarters pafl ten we halted for the
night in another patch o f grafs ; the place is called Ho-
weela. Jibbel Atelhan bore $. W. and by W. o f us, the distance
about feven miles. I inquired o f Idris, i f he knew, to
point out to me, precifely where Syene lay, and he Ihewed
me without difficulty. I fet it by the compafs, and found
it to be N. and by W. very near the exaft bearing it turned
out upon obfervation afterwards. He faid, however, we
ihould not keep this trait, but fhould be obliged to vary oc-
cafionally in fearch o f water, as we Ihould find the wells in
the defert empty or full.
O n the 12th, at feven o’clock i-nthe morning we quitted
Howeela, continuing our journey through the defert in the
fame direction, that is to the N. E. ; our reafon was, to avoid
as much as poffible the meeting any Arab that could give
intelligence o f our b eing on our journey, for nothing was
fo eafy for people, fuch as the Biihareen, to way-lay and cu t
us off at the well, where they would be fure we muft o f
neceffity pafs. At twenty minutes pail eight we came to
Waadi el Haimer, where there are a few trees and feme bent
grafs, for this is the meaning o f the word Waadi in a defert.
The Arabs, called Sumgar, are here on the weft o f us,
3 by
by the rivér fide. At h a lf pad twelve we alighted on a fpot
o f grafs. Takaki from this diftance w i ll be twenty-four
miles, between the points N. W. and N. N. W. and from Tak
a k i to Dongola ten ftxort days journeys, I fuppofe 180 miles
at moft. We are now in the territory o f the Biihareen, but
they were’all retired to the mountains, a high even ridge,.,
that is fomething above two days diftance from us, and runs
parallel to our courfe, on the right hand o f us, all the w a y
into Egypt.
At h a lf paft eight we alighted in a fandy plain without
trees or grafs. Our camels, we found, were too heavily
loaded, b u t w e comforted ourfelves that this fault would be
mended every day by the ufe we made o f our provifions ,.
however, it was very much againft them that they were
ohliged to pafs this whole night without eating. This:
placéis, called Umboia. We left Umboia, ftill ftretching
farther into the defert at N. E. At nine we faw a hill called;
Affero-baybe, with two pointed tops N. o f us, which may
be about twelve or fourteen miles diftant, perhaps more.
This is the next Hybeer’s mark, by which he dire&s his
Gourfe. On the eaft is. Ebenaat, another iharp-pointed rock,,
about ten miles diftant. All this day, and the evening be-
fore,our road has been through ftony, gravelly ground, w ithout
herb or tree. Large pieces o f agate and jafper, mixt
with many beautiful pieces o f marble, appear everywhere;
on the grounds
At two o’clock in the afternoon w e came to Waadi Amour,,
where we alighted, after we had gone fix hours this day.
with great diligence. Waadi Amour has a few trees and.
f l i r u b s , b u t. fearce enough to afford any lhade, or night’s
provifiom