THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 347
and, upon the firft dawn of day, I fet onr route by the com- pafs, and found it north and by eaft, or more eaflcrly. This did not feem the probable road to Sennaar, after having gone fo confiderably to the north- welt. But, before I could make much reflexion upon the obfervation, one of the ca- ravan declared he knew the road, and that we had gone very little out of it, and were now proceeding ftraight to the well. Accordingly, at half paft nine, we reached it ; it is called Imgellalib*. There is great plenty of water, with a leather-bucket, and a Itraw ro^e to draw it up, but it is very ill-tafted. However, the fear of dying with thirft, more than having materially fuffered from it, made every one prefs to drink ; and the effceT; of this hurry was very foon f^en. Two Abyffinian Moors, a man and woman, died after drinking; the man inftantly, and the woman a few minutes after ; for my own part, though thirfty,! was fenfible I could have held out a confiderable time without danger ; and, indeed, I did not drink till I had walhed my head, face, and neck all over. I then waflied my mouth and throat, and, having cooled myfelf, and in great meafure ailuaged my thirft, I then drank till 1 was completely fatisfied, but onl}' by fmall draughts. I would have perl'uaded all my companions to do the fame, but I was not heard; and one would have thought, like the camels, they had been drink- ing once for many days to come. Yet none of them had complained of thirft till they heard the girbas were empty; and it was not fixteen hours fmce they had drank at Im- hanzara, and but twelve fuice the girbas were found to be .dry, when we firft loft our way, and ftopped in the wood.
X X 2 The
- Tlic word ngnifies the Well of Caravans : I fuppofe.of thofe which, like ours, bring
fait into Atbara, for there is no other trade between the two nations.
