Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/472

 ■ 44 8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

banks of the Nile, and took poflefhon in a line of about 600 yards of ground.

From the time we decamped from Coga it poured incef- fantly the moft continued rain we ever had yet feen, violent claps of thunder followed clofe one upon another, almoft without interval, accompanied with meets of lightning, which ran on the ground like water ; the day was more than commonly dark, as in aneclipfe; and every hollow, or foot-path, collected a quantity of rain, which fell into the Nile in torrents. It would have brought into the dulled mind Mr Hume's (hiking lines on my native Carron —

Red ran the river down, and loud and oft The angry fpirit of the water fhriek'd.

Douglas.

The Abyflinian armies pafs the Nile at all feafons. It rolls with it no trees, ftones, nor impediments ; yet the fight of fuch a monftrous mafs of water terrified me, and made me think the idea of crofling would be laid afide. It was plain in the face of every one, that they gave themfelves over for loft ; an univerfal dejection had taken place, and it was but too vifible that the army was defeated by the weather, without having feen an enemy. The Greeks crowded a- round me, all forlorn and defpairing, curfmg the hour they had firft entered that country, and following thefe curfes with fervent prayers, where fear held the place of devotion. A cold and brifk gale now fprung up at N. W. with a clear fun; and foon after four, when the army arrived on the banks of the Nile, thefe temporary torrents were all fubfided, the

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