Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, in the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773
Volume I
 (1790)
James Bruce
592277Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, in the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773
Volume I
1790James Bruce

TRAVELS

TO DISCOVER THE

SOURCE OF THE NILE,

In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773.

IN FIVE VOLUMES.

BY JAMES BRUCE OF KINNAIRD, ESQ. F. R. S.

VOL. I.



Opus aggredior opimum cosibus, atrox præliis, discors feditionibus,
Ipsa etiam pace sævum.Tacit. Lib. iv. Ann.



EDINBURGH:
PRINTED BY J. RUTHVEN,
FOR G. G. J. AND J. ROBINSON, PATERNOSTER-ROW,
LONDON.


MDCCXC.



CONTENTS

OF THE

FIRST VOLUME.


Dedication.
Introduction, Page i
BOOK I.

The Author's Journey and Voyage from Sidon till his Arrival at Masuah.

CHAP. I.
The Author sails from Sidon—Touches at Cyprus—Arrives at Alexandria—Sets out for Rosetto—Embarks on the Nile, and arrives at Cairo, Page 1
CHAP. II.
Author's Reception at Cairo—Procures Letters from the Bey and the Greek Patriarch—Visits the Pyramids—Observations on their Construction, 24
CHAP. III.
Leaves Cairo—Embarks on the Nile for Upper Egypt—Visits Metrahenny and Mohannan—Reasons for supposing this the Situation of Memphis, 43
CHAP. IV.
Leaves Metrahenny—Comes to the Island Halouon—False Pyramid—These Buildings end—Sugar Canes—Ruins of Antinopolis—Reception there, 69
CHAP. V.
Voyage to Upper Egypt continued—Ashmounein, Ruins there—Gawe Kibeer Ruins—Mr Norden mistaken—Achmim—Convent of Catholics—Denera—Magnificent Ruins—Adventure with a Saint there, 91
CHAP. VI.
Arrives at Furshout—Adventure of Friar Christopher—Visits Thebes—Luxor and Carnac—Large Ruins at Edfu and Esné—Proceeds on his Voyage, 114
CHAP. VII.
Arrives at Syene—Goes to see the Cataract—Remarkable Tombs—The Situation of Syene—The Aga proposes a visit to Deir and Ibrim—The Author returns to Kenné, 150
CHAP. VIII.
The Author sets out from Kenné—Crosses the Desert of the Thebaid—Visits the Marble Mountains—Arrives at Cosseir on the Red Sea—Transactions there, 169
CHAP. IX.
Voyage to Jibbel Zumrud—Returns to Cosseir—Sails from Cosseir—Jaffateen Islands—Arrives at Tor, 204
CHAP. X.
Sails from Tor—Passes the Elanitic Gulf—Sees Raddua—Arrives at Yambo—Incidents there—Arrives at Jidda, 239
CHAP. XI.
Occurrences at Jidda—Visit of the Vizir—Alarm of the Factory—Great Civility of the English trading from India—Polygamy—Opinion of Dr Arbuthnot ill-founded—Contrary to Reason and Experience—Leaves Jidda, 265
CHAP. XII.
Sails from Jidda—Konsodah—Ras Heli, Boundary of Arabia Felix—Arrives at Loheia—Proceeds to the Straits of the Indian Ocean—Arrives there—Returns by Azab to Loheia, 294
CHAP. XIII.
Sails for Masuah—Passes a Volcano—Comes to Dahalac—Troubled with a Ghost—Arrives at Masuah, 327
BOOK II.

Account of the first Ages of the Indian and African Trade—The first Peopling of Abyssinia and Atbara—Some Conjectures concerning the Origin of Language there.

CHAP. I.
Of the Indian Trade in its earliest Ages—Settlement of Ethiopia—Troglodytes—Building of the first Cities, 365
CHAP. II.
Saba and the South of Africa peopled—Shepherds, their particular Employment and Circumstances—Abyssinia occupied by seven Stranger Nations—Specimens of their several Languages—Conjectures concerning them, 381
CHAP. III.
Origin of Characters or Letters—Ethiopic the first Language—How and why the Hebrew Letter was formed. 411
CHAP. IV.
Some Account of the Trade-Winds and Monsoons—Application of this to the Voyage to Ophir and Tarshish, 427
CHAP. V.
Fluctuating State of the India Trade—Hurt by military Expeditions of the Persians—Revives under the Ptolemies—Falls to Decay under the Romans, 447
CHAP. VI.
Queen of Saba visits Jerusalem—Abyssinian Tradition concerning Her—Supposed Founder of that Monarchy—Abyssinia embraces the Jewish Religion—Jewish Hierarchy still retained by the Falasha—Some Conjectures concerning their Copy of the Old Testament, 471
CHAP. VII.
Books in use in Abyssinia—Enoch—Abyssinia not converted by the Apostles—Conversion from Judaism to Christianity by Frumentius, 493
CHAP. VIII.
War of the Elephant—First appearance of the Small-Pox—Jews persecute the Christians in Arabia—Defeated by the Abyssinians—Mahomet pretends a Divine Mission—Opinion concerning the Koran—Revolution under Judith—Restoration of the Line of Solomon from Shoa, 510