Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/539

 THE SOURCE OF THE NIlLE. ^la

Dahab was made Bey in his place. They faid, one part of the caravan, that went before them, had been attacked and cui off by the Bilhareen under Aboii Bertran ; that they had efcaped by a few hours only, and that all the road was fo infefted with robbers, that it was a miracle if any one could pafs.

On the 20th we left Kamily at a quarter pail five in the morning,andat about fix miles (the diftance between that and Wed Tyrab) we pafiTed a bare and fandy country, interfpei- fed with fmall coppices, and three quarters paft ten came to Bifhaggara. This is a large village, fome thing above a mile's diftance from the Nile, which fpace is entirely ta^- ken up with brufhwood, without any timber trees. We begin now to fee the eifeds of the quantity of rain having failed. There was little fown, and that fo late as to be fcarcely above the ground. It feems the rains begin later as they pafs northward. Many people were here employed in gathering grafs feeds* to make a very bad kind of bread. Thefe people appear perfecft flceletons, and no won* der, as they live upon fuch fare. Nothing increafes the danger of travelling, and prejudice againft ftrangers, more than the fcarcity of provifions in the country through which you are to pafs..

At fifty minutes paft three in the afternoon we left Bi- fhaggara, and at feven came to Eltie, a ftraggling village, about half a mile from the Nile, in the north of a large-, bare plain, allpafture, except the banks of the river, which

are


 * We had feen this praclifed too by the Agows at the fource of the Nllt