^66 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
the earth), in this cafe, Alexandria being fuppofed to lye in long. 30°, Syene miifl: be in 30° likevvife ; but Gooz being in 34°, it is impoflible that Syene can be within a trifle north of Gooz ; and therefore we mufl have a much greater quan- tity of welling to travel than Idris the Hybeer imagines, who places Syene a very little weft of the meridian of Gooz, or immediately under the fame meridian, and due north from it
Our cajnels were always chained by the feet, and the chain fccured by a padlock, left they fliould wander in the night, or be liable to be ftolen and carried off. Mufmg then upon the geographical difficulties juft mentioned, and gazing before me, without any particular intention or fuf- picion, I heard the chain of the camels clink, as if fome- body was unloofmg them, and then, at the end of the gleam made by the fire, I law diftinctly a; man pafs fwiftly by, Hoop- ing as he went along, his face almoll to the ground. A lit- tle time after this I heard another clink of the chain, as if from a pretty fharp blow, and immediately after a move- ment among the camels. I then rofe, and cried in a threaten- ing tone, in Arabic, *' I charge you on your life, whoever you are, either come up to me dire(5lly, or keep at a diftancc till day, but come that way no more; why fliould you throw your life away?" In a minute after, he repafTed in the fhade among the trees, pretty much in the manner he had done before. As I was on guard between the baggage and the camels, I was confequently armed, and advanced deliberate- ly fomc fteps, as far as the light of the fire fhone, on purpofe to difcovcr how many they were, and was ready to fire up- on the next I faw. " If you are an honeft man, cried I aloud, and want any thing, come up to the fire and fear not, I am I alone ;
