Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/636

 6i2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

to difcover the fountains of the Nile, in which he had pro* bably fucceeded had he not miftaken the river itfelf. He fuppofed the Siris, now the Tacazze, was the Nile, and, a£* cending in the direction of its ftream, he came to Axura, the capital of the province of Sire and of Ethiopia. But the flory he tells about the {how which. he found knee-deep oa the mountains of Samen, makes me queftion whether he ever croffed the Siris, or was himfelf an ocular, witnefs of. what he fays he obferved there,.

G&sar, between the acquifltion of a rich and powerful kingdom, and the enjoyment of the fineft woman in the world, the queen of it, is faid to have employed fo interefl- ing an interval in a calm inquiry. after the fource of this river, and, in fo doing at fuch a time,. furely has paid it a greater compliment than it ever yet received from any that attempted the difcovery. On that night, which completed the deftruction of the Egyptian monarchy, it is faid this was the topic upon which he entertained the learned, of Alexandria at fupper ; addrefling himfelf to Achorcus, high prieft of the Nile, he fays,..

Nihil eft, quod tiofcere mahm\\

s^uam fluvii caufas, per fecula tauta latentis,. Ignoi unique caput : Jpesjit mihi ce?-ta videndi Ni/iacosfontet, bellum civile rclinquam,.

Lux AN.

The poet here pays Caefar a compliment upon his curic-

fity, or defire of knowledge, very much at the expence of his

patriotifm ; for he makes him declare, in fo many words,

chat, he confidercd. making war with his country as the

a, greatcfl