55a TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
While the camels were loading, I bathed myfelf with in- finite pleafure for a long half hour in the Nile, and thus took leave of my old acquaintance, very doubtful if we fliould ever meet again. We then turned our face to N. E. leaving the Nile, and entering into a bare defert of fixed gravel, without trees, and of a very difagreeable whitilh co- lour, mixed with fmall pieces of white marble, and pebbles like alabafter. At a quarter paft four we alighted in a fpot of high bent grafs, where we let our camels feed till eight o'clock, and at three quarters paft ten we halted for the night in another patch of grafs ; the place is called Ho- weela. Jibbel Ateflian bore b. W. and by W. of us, the dif- tance about feven miles. I inquired of Idris, if he knew, to point out to me, precifely where Sycne lay, and he fhewed me without difficulty. I fet it by the compafs, and found it to be N. and by W. very near the exaft bearing it turned out upon obfervation afterwards. He faid, however, we fliould not keep this tracft, but fliould be obliged to vary oc- cafionally in fearch of water, as we fhould find the wells in the defert empty or full.
On the 12th, at feven o'clock in the morning we quitted Howeela, continuing our journey through the defert in the fame dire(5lion, that is to the N. E. ; our reafon was, to avoid as much as poffible the meeting any Arab that could give intelligence of our being on our journey, for nothing was fo eafy for people, fuch as the Bifliareen, to way-lay and cut us off at the well, where they would be fure we muft of neceffity pafs. At twenty minutes paft eight we came to Waadi el Haimcr, where there are a few trees and fome bent grafs, for this is the meaning of the word Waadi in a de- fert. The Arabs, called Sum gar, are here on the weft of us,
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