as 1 was, after refreffiing myiblf with nay, laft tread and
water, I fet out in the afternoon to gain a riling ground,
that I might fee, i f poilible, what was to the weft ward ; for
the mountains feemed now rocky and high-like thofe o f
the Kennoufs near Syene. I arrived, with great difficulty
and pain, on the top o f a moderate hill, but was exceedingly
difappointed at not feeing the river to the weft ward.;;
however, the vicinity o f the Nile was very evident, by the
high, uniform mountains that .confine its torrent when it
comes out o f Nubia. The evening was ftill, fo that fitting
down and covering my eyes with my hands, not to be diverted
b y external objetfts, I liftened and heard diftindtly
the noife o f waters, w h ich I fuppofed to be the eataraft,
hut it feemed to the fouthward o f us, as i f we had pafted
it. I was,however,.fully fatisfied that it was the Nile.
J u s t before I 'left my ftation the fun was already low,
-when I -faw a flock o f birds, which, in Syria, where they
are plenty, are called the'Cow Bird. -In Egypt they are alfo
numerous upon the Nile, but I do not know their name.
The y are a fmall fpecies o f the heron, about a third o f the
iize o f the common one, milk-white, having a tu ft o f flefh-
-coloured feathers uppn their breaft, o f a coarfer, ftronger,
and more hairy-like quality than -the Ihorter feathers. A
flock o f thefe birds was flying in a ftraight line, very low, evidently
feeking food along the banks o f the river. It was
not an hour for birds to go far from their home, nor does
this bird feed at a diftance from its aocuftomed haunt at
a n y time. Satisfied then that, continuing our courfe N. W.
w e Ihould arrive at qr below Syene, I returned to join my
acotnpanions, but it was npw dark, and I found Idris and
.2 the
the Barbarins in fome pain, endeavouring to trace me by
m y footfteps.
I c o m m u n i c a t e d to them this jo yfu l news, which Was
confirmed by Idris, though he did not himfelf kn ow the
juft diftance from this place (Abou Seielat) as his ufual way
had been to Daroo, not to Aflbuan, which he did not choofe
to approach, for fear o f the vexations from the Turkilli gar-
rifon. A cry o f jo y followed this annunciation. Chriftiaqs,'
Moors, and Turks, all burft into floods o f tears, k illing
and embracing one another, and thanking God for his
'mercy in this deliverance, and unanimoufly in token o f
their gratitude, and acknowledgment o f my conftant atten-.
tion to them in the whole o f this long jo u rn e y ; faluting me
with the name o f Abou Ferege, Father Forefight, the only reward
it was in their power to give.
O n the 29th, at feven o’clock in the morning we left Abou
S e ie la t; about nine, we faw the palm trees at Aflbuan,
and a quarter before ten arrived in a grove o f palm-trees
o n the north o f that city.
5 » = = '
Vot. IV. CHAP.