return; but in many places, where the fand is loofe and deep, it becomes impracticable. They are then obliged to rely on the facility acquired by habit, of diftinguishing the outline and characteristic features of certain rocks, as they are perfectly ignorant of the compafs, and very little informed as to the fixed ftars. Though the names of the conftellations be little known to them, yet they dif. tinguish such as may guide them in their courfe during the night. With all these aids, however, their devia, tions from the true line are not infre quent. Three times, in the courfe of our journey, the whole caravan was quite at a lofs for the road, though fome of the members of it had made ten or twelve different journies to and from Dar Für. During the whole of my route I had reafon to fufpe&t that the accounts in books of travels, which have generated fuch terrific notions of the moving fands of Af. rica, are greatly exaggerated. While we remained at Leghea, indeed, a violent gale fprang from the north weft, and raised a cloud of fand. At that time I placed a wooden bowl, capable of containing about two gallons, in the open air. Thirty minutes had elapfed when it appeared completely filled with fand. Our companions indeed affected to relate various ftories of caravans that had been overwhelmed. But as neither time nor place were adduced, it would feem not unreasonable to doubt the truth of the affertion.

If caravans have been thus buried on their road, it may be prefumed that accident can only have happened after they have been deprived of the power of moving, by the influence of a hot wind, want of water, and other causes. A number of men, and other animals, found dead, and covered with fand, would be fufficient ground for fucceeding native travellers to believe, as they are ftrangers to ratiocination, or, though not entirely per

fuaded, to relate, as they delight in the marvellous, that the perfons they had found had been overwhelmed on their march; when in fact this accumulation had not happened till they were already dead. But perhaps the matter fcarcely merits this difcuffion.

Our company confifted of nearly five hundred camels. This exceeds the number ufually employed by the Jelabs on their return from Egypt, which is often not more than two hundred. In paffing from Dar- Fur to Egypt, they efteem two thousand camels, and a thousand head of flaves, a large caravan. Of perfons of other countries, but particularly Egyptians, trading for the mfelves, there were not more than fifty, including five or fix Coptic Christians, whofe admittance in Dar Fúr the monarch of that country has fince forbidden. Several of this number were Muggrebines, or Occidental Arabs; the remainder, amounting to one hundred and fifty or two hundred, including the chabîr, or leader, were fubjects of Fur. Few particulars of other known to me but by report.

caravans

are

The Arabs and Jelabs find the camel too indifpenfable to their long and fatiguing voyages, not to employ much care in nourishing him. This fhip of the land, as he is called, is exclufively the bearer of their fortunes, and the companion of their toils. Much care is observed in rearing him, and not unfrequently the merchant pays nearly as much for the camels to carry his merchandife, as he did for the commodities themselves; what then must be the profit that covers his expences, his fatigue, indemnifies him for accidental loffes, and yet leaves him a gainer? But, if this patient and enduring animal be thus rendered fubfervient to their wants, or their avarice, he is not at least tortured for their caprice.

Horses are very little ufed by the Jelabs. They generally furnish themfelves with Egyptian affes, which alle

viate the fatigue of the way, and are aftewwards fold in Soudân at an ad. vanced price. The strength and fpirits of this animal are recruited with a fmall quantity of ftraw and water; the horse has not the fame recom. mendation; and these people, though not averfe from parade in cities, find the labour and hazard of thefe voyages too enormous, not to augment their profits by all poffible economy.

The provifions they ufe are fcanty and indifferent, and by no means tel, tify any forefight for the neceffities of the fick, or for the procrastination of the voyage by thofe innumerable accidents that may befal them.

I did not observe that any of them were furnished with dried meat, as is common with the Fezzanners. But few used coffee and tobacco, and the reft contented themfelves with a leathern bag of flour, another of bread baked hard, a leathern veffel of honey or treacle, and another of butter. The quantity of each was regulated by the number of perfons, and feldom exceeded what is abfolutely neceffary.

In travelling from Dar-Fur to Egypt another article is much in ufe, especially for the flaves, which Egypt itself does not afford, or produces in no quantity. The grain chiefly in ufe among the Furians is the fmall kaob, called among them dokn (millet). Of this, after it has been coarfely ground, they take a quantity, and having caufed it to undergo a flight fermentation, make a kind of pafte. This will keep a long time, and when about to be used, water is added to it; if properly made, it becomes a tolerably palatable food. But the natives are not very delicate.

From its acidity they esteem it a preventative of thirft. The fer

mentation gives it alfo a flight power of inebriating, and it has a narcotic tendency. The fubftance fo prepared is called ginfeia. The want of materials for fire on the road prevents the ufe of rice, and other articles that would require cookery..

Experienced travellers, among every ten camels laden with merchandise, charge one with beans, and straw chopped fmall, which, fparingly given, ferves them during the greater part of the voyage. Thofe with whom I travelled were not fo provided, these articles being then very dear in Egypt; and in confequence numbers of camels perished. In coming from Dar-Fur, they ufe for the fame purpofe the dokn, and coarfe hay of the country, but not altogether with the fame falutary effect.

The water, on leaving Egypt, is commonly conveyed in goat-skins artificially prepared: but no fkill can entirely prevent evaporation. On their march from Soudăn to Egypt, the Jelabs oftener ufe ox hides, formed into capacious facks and properly feasoned with tar or oil. thefe is a camel's load. They keep the water in a better ftate for drinking than the smaller; and these facks are fold to great advantage throughout Egypt, a pair of the beft kind being fometimes worth thirty piafters.

A pair of

They are the common inftruments for conveying water from the river to different parts of each town, The camels are not allowed to partake of this ftore, which, after all the care that can be taken of it, is often very naufeous, from the tar, the mud which accompanies the water in drawing, heat, &c.

Six of the fmaller fkins, or two of the larger, are generally esteemed ufficient for four perfons for as many days.

NARRA

256

chant of Richmond, in Virginia' found himself under the neceffity of proceeding to Kentucky; there to receive certain fums of money, due to his father, who was recently dead; and to examine fome witneffes be fore the fupreme court of the state of Virginia. Having made the fame tour the preceding year, he fet out accordingly from Richmond, in the beginning of the month of March 1790, and proceeded with his friend, Mr May, a great landholder in Kentucky, and an inhabitant of Peterfburg, to Kecklar's Station, in Virginia, on the banks of the Great Kanhaway. They found there James Skuyl, a merchant, of Great Brayer court-house, in Virginia, who was carrying a large quantity of merchandife to Kentucky-They jointly purchased one of the veffels, which, as they are intended merely to defcend the Ohio, and are not built to remount it, have no more durability than is required for that purpofe, and are, confequently, fold at a cheap rate. They are large flat-bottomed veffels, without any deck; and are fold in Limestone for the value of their timber.

2

Having embarked on board this veffel, with their merchandise and flores, they defcended the river, work ing the veffl themfelves. During the whole paffage of two hundred and ninety five miles thence to Lime. fione, nothing is required but to keep the veffel in the middle of the ftream, which is fufficiently rapid to carry her down, without the leaft affiftance from rowing. At the confluence of the Kanhaway with the Ohio, at Point Pleafant, they found three other travellers, who were waiting for an opportunity to proceed on the fame journey; namely, William

tradefman, who was in the habit of travelling to Kentucky; and Dolly and Peggy Flemming, likewife of Point Pleasant, who intended to proceed to Kentucky, under the protection of Phlyn, a relation of theirs, and to fettle in that place. They were all of them fully aware that the navigation of the Ohio is not exempt from danger; but they alfo knew, that inttances of the Indians attacking a veffel in the midst of the stream are very rare, and that an attack on a veffel, with fix perfons on board, was altogether unprecedented.

They had failed one hundred and fix miles; it was five o'clock in the morning: they were dear the confluence of the Sciota, and had a fair profpect of reaching Limestone the next morning, by daybreak. Paffing on with this expectation, they heard, dreadful fhrieks, proceeding from two men, who fpoke English, and told them, in the most affecting tone of grief, that they had been taken prifoners by the Indians, and had made their efcape, but feared to fall again. into their hands. They had not eaten any thing for thefe four days paft,' and intreated if they could not be taken on board, to be at leaft fupplied with fome provifion, and thus, faved from the unavoidable danger of perishing through hunger. The first and immediate fentiment of all the paffengers impelled them to fuccour thefe unfortunate perfons: but a little" confideration excited ftrong apprehenfions in fome of them, left the affitance which they might afford these perfons fhould throw themselves into the hands of the Indians.

The two unfortunate men followed the veffel along the fhore, as fhe was carried onwards by the current. Their mournful lamentations, their screams,

and