MERGE. 23

road at the foot of the hills was -villanous, and most dangerous

from the large stones, that had rolled down from above, and

Joseph's dromedary threatened, from the rapid pace, to fall at

every step, he no longer having power remaining to support it or

himself. After being led and borne for some way by Abdallah

and the Bedouin, my brother managed, but on foot, to reach the

village on tlie hill range where the Pascha had halted, though he

was too weak to go to him and beg for a boat. There he passed

the night in fever and delirium, on an angareb (the common bed

place of the country, formed of small strips of plaited camel hide

crossed on a frame), and in the morning felt so enfeebled, that he

despaired of ever recovering, and only hoped once again to behold

me, to warn me to quit the country. As good luck would have

it, there was then in that neighbourhood a boat of our friend,

the merchant Hassam Mosniir from Berber; this was put into

requisition. Placed on an ass, and held on it, Joseph rode over a

well cultivated plain, regularly watered by irrigating channels

filled from the Nile by water-wheels ; and along with the Pascha's

secretary, the Copt Chakill, embarked in the boat, in which, after

daily attacks of fever, he at length, on the morning of the 17th of March, arrived, when sleeping soundly, at Damer. Even my lot had not been so bad as this, but now again we could both breathe

freely, and heart and courage revived again.

20th March. — It was said we were to march at L'Asser, so we

could not carry out our plans of together visiting the pyramids

as I have already given an account of my visit to them in my "Journey to the Source of the White Nile" (p. 55.), I shall not

repeat it here. It seems, however, beyond a doubt to me,—%vho be-

fore leaving Bellad-Sudan also visited the mystic city of Mandera which many, without having seen it, are inclined to hold as the

ancient city of Meroe,—that this ancient island city of Meroe did in former days extend along the Nile at the valley of Bacli'r amie, westward from the pyramids.* The river has since those days

retired, as there are now Jo be seen, some two hundred paces from

it, foundation walls and remains of buildings, behind which I hit

* These arc filled up with nibbish, .and when much of this was removed by

the trca.surc seeker, Dr. Ferlini from Bologna, no mummies were found, but ma:iy

skeletons in sitting postures, which he stripped of their gold and ornaments.