could have been required for the paffage of lefs ponderous and cumbrous materials. Whether obfervation of the fact, without refl &ting enough on the probable caufe, might have given rife to the report refpecting a canal communicating in this quarter between the Nile and Arabian gulf, or whether it was the effect of mifondertanding the ancient writers on the subject, is unimportant; fuch an idea has prevailed, and it is countenanced by fome intelligent authors. In frequenting the places, and not wholly unimprefled by this thought, I have never yet been able to perfuade myself that fuch a canal had exifted, or,could have been formed. There are no marks in either of the roads I paffed, of water having ever flowed there, and he level of the road, after leaving the river, is much higher than hat of the river itfelf. But the level of the river is certainly not lower than in former ages, and the water, if ever it flowed there, must have flowed from the Nile to the sea, and not from the sea to the Nile. The conclufion is obvious." P. 146.

The journey to Feiume is curious and important; but it may be generally obferved, that Mr. B.'s remarks are too dry and brief, and often unimportant. In the fourteenth chapter we are conducted to Sinai, by the way of Suez; but we are told nothing which we did not know before. At p. 180, the curiofity is particularly excited, for we here accompany the traveller to DAR- FUR, a kingdom in the interior of Africa. Even here we have reafon to complain that the narrative is too concife, faftidious, and referved. After fuffering various indignities, great hardships, and fevere illness, the author obtained, with great difficulty, an audience of the monarch, which is thus defcribed:

"I repaired as before to the Melek Ibrahim, who on the following day introduced me at the public audience. The Sultan as he retired to the palace after it was over, ordered all the parties to appear. Being come within the inner court, he stopped the white mule on which he was mounted, and began a fhort harangue, addreffing himself to Hoffein and Ali Hamad, my fervant, in which he cenfured, in a rapid and energetic ftyle, their conduct towards me- One,' faid he, turning to Ali, calls himself Wakil of the Frank; if he were a Sherîf and a Mullim, as he pretends, he would know that the law of the prophet permits not a Muslim to be Wakil to a Caffre: another calls himself his friend-but both are agreed in robbing him of his property, and ufurping the authority of the laws. Henceforth 1 am his Wakîl, and will protect him.' He then ordered all the parties to repair to the house of Mufa Wullad Jelfun, Melak of the Jelabs, under whofe appropriate jurifdiction are all foreign merchants. Here it may not be improper to relate, briefly, how I had been before received by the Sultan. On my first audience I was too ill to make much obfervation: I was feated at a distance from him, the vifit was fhort, and I had no opportunity of opening a converfation. He was placed on his feat (cûrfi) at the door of his tent. Some perfon had mentioned to him my watch, and

a copy

a copy of Erpenius's Grammar, which I had with me. He asked to fee both; but after cafting his eyes on each he returned them. The prefent I had brought was fhewn him, for which he thanked me, and rofe to retire. During the following fummer, the first time I got admiffion to him, he was holding a divan in the outer court. He was then mounted on a white mule, clothed with a fearlet Benish, and had on his head a white turban; which, however, together with part of his face was covered with a thick muflin. On his feet were yellow boots, and the faddle on which he was feated was of crimfon velvet without any ornament of gold or filver. His fword which was broad and straight, was held horizontally in his right hand. A fmall canopy of muflia was fupported over his head. Amid the noife and hurry of above a thoufand perfons who were there affembled, I was unable to make myfelf heard, which the nature of my fituation obliged me to attempt, though not exactly conformable to the etiquette of the court, that, almoft to the exclufion of ftrangers, had appropriated the divan to the troops, the Arabs and others connected with the government. Ca another occafion I contrived to gain admittance to the interior court by a bribe. The Sultan was hearing a caufe of a private nature, the proceedings on which were only in the Furian language. He was feated on a kind of chair which was covered with a Turkey carpet, and wore a red filk turban; his face was then uncovered: the imperial fword was placed across his knees, and his hands were engaged with a chaplet of red coral. Being near him I fixed my eyes on him, in order to have a perfect idea of his countenance, which being fhort-fighted and not thinking it very decent to ufe a glafs in his prefence, I had hitherto fcarcely found an opportunity of acquiring. He feemed evidently difcompofed at my having ob ferved him thus, and the moment the caufe was at an end, he retired very abruptly. Some perfons to whom I afterwards remarked the circumftance, feemed to think that his attendants had taught him to fear the magic of the Franks, to the operation of which their habit of taking likeneffes is imagined by fome of the Orientals to conduce. He is a man rather under middle fize, of a complexion aduit or dry, with eyes full of fire, and features abounding in expreffion. His beard is fhort but full; and his countenance, though perfectly black, materially differing from the Negro; though fifty or fifty-five years of age, he poffeffes much alertnefs and activity. At another of my visits I found him in the interior court, ftanding, with a long staff, tipped with filver, in his right hand, on which he leaned, and the fword in his left. He then had chofen to adorn his head with the folds of a red filk turban, compofed of the fame material as the Western Arabs use for a cincture. The Melek Ibrahim prefented him, in my name, with a fmall piece of filk and cotton, of the manufacture of Damafcus. He returned anfwer, Barak ulla fi!-May the bleffing of God be on him! a phrafe in general ufe on receiving any favour, and inftantly retired, without giving me time to urge the requcft of which I intended the offering fhould be the precurfor. It is expected of all perfons that, on coming to El Fafher, they fhould bring with them a prefent of greater or lefs value according to the nature of the bufinefs in hand. It is no lefs ufual before leaving the royal refidence, to afk permiffion of the Sultan for that purpofe. With this latter form, which was to me unpleasant,

unpleafant, I fometimes complied, but more frequently omitted it, But on this occafion, having been long refident there, I thought fit to make a laft effort to promote my defign. The day preceding that which I had fixed for my return, happened to be a great public audience. I found the monarch feated on his throne (curfi) under a lofty canopy, compofed not of one material, but of various ftuffs of Syrian and even of Indian fabric, hung lootely on a light frame of wood, no two pieces of the fame pattern; the place he fat in was fpread with fmall Turkey carpets. The Meleks were feated at fome diftance on the right and left, and behind them a line of guards, with caps, ornamented in front with a fall piece of copper and a black oftrich feather. Each bore a fpear in his hand, and a target, of the hide of the Hippopotamus, on the oppofite arm. Their drefs confifted only of a cotton shirt, of the manufacture of the country. Behind the throne were fourteen or fifteen eunuchs, clothed indeed fplendidly in habiliments of cloth or filk, but clumfily adjusted, without any regard to fize or colour. The face in front was filled with fuitors and fpectators, to the number of more than fifteen hundred. A kind of hired encomiaft ftood on the monarch's left hand, crying out, à pleine gorge, during the whole ceremony, See the buffaloe, the offspring of a buffaloe, a bull of bulls, the elephant of fuperior ftrength, the powertul Sultan Abdel-rachmânel-rafnid! May God prolong thy life, O matter!-May God affist thee, and render thee victorious!" From this audience, as from thofe which had preceded it, I was obliged to retire as I had come, without effecting any purpofe, I was told there were occafions when the Sultan wears a kind of crown, as is common with other African monarchs; but of this practice I had no opportunity to bear witnefs. When he appeared in public, a number of troops armed with light fpears ufually attended him, and feveral of his flaves were employed to bear a kind of umbrella over his head, which concealed his face from the multitude, When be pales, all the fpectators are obliged to appear bare-footed, and commonly to kneel. His fubjects bow to the earth, but this compliance is not expected from foreigners. Even the Melcks, when they approach the throne, creep on their hands and knees, which gave occafion to an Egyptian to remark, that the Jarea in Fûr was a Melek, and the Meleka Jarea, alluding to the fervile behaviour of the ministers, and the publicity of women in the domeltic offices of the palace," P. 210.

The following alfo, as deferibing the manners of a people very little known, we gladly introduce.

"The first week of the month Rabia-el-achir, this year, was diftinguished by a festival which I conceive peculiar to this country, the Geled-el Nahas, the leathering of the kettle-drum. It lafts eight or ten days fucceffively; during which time the Meleks, and great men, offer to the monarch confiderable prefents. I have known the Melek of Jelabs take with him in his vifit of congratulation, prefents of various kinds, worth fixty head of flaves. Almoft all, except abfolute · mendicants, are obliged to come forward with fome offering, proportioned to their rank. In recompence of this involuntary generofity on the part of the people, a kindness almoft as involuntary,

but

but fomewhat cheaper is exhibited on the part of the Sultan, his kitchen, during the time, is devoted to the public fervice; but as too great a number of animals is frequently flaughtered the first day, the meat often remains to be devoured in a corrupt ftate; which gave occafion to fome one to remark, that the festivals of Fius refembled thofe of the leopard*. The celebrity is alfo marked by a review of the troops. But as the equeftrian exercises are no more than a clumfy imitation of thofe of the Mamlukes, a more particular defcription of them would afford nothing new. They ferve however to characterise the mode of warfare, where victory is always the effect of perfonal exertion. The monarch and his chief officers have fine horfes of Dongola, which they mount without fkill, carrying in one hand five or fix javelins, in the ufe of which they are adequately expert. During the fummer of 1794, five men, who had exercifed confiderable authority in fome of the provinces, were brought to El Fafher as prifoners. It was faid that they had been detected in treasonable correfpondence with the hoftile leader (Hafhem) in Kordofan. They did not undergo any form of trial, but as the Sultan chofe to give credit to the depofitions that were made againft them, his command iffued for their execution. Three of them were very young men, the youngest not appearing to be more than feventeen years of age. Two of them were eunuchs. A little after noon they were brought chained and fettered into the market place before one of the entrances of the palace, efcorted by a few of the royal flaves, armed with fpears. feveral of the Meleks by the monarchs exprefs order were prefent to witnefs, as he termed it, what they might expect to fuffer if they failed in their fidelity. The executioner allowed them time only to utter fome fhort prayer, when he plunged the knife in the neck of the oldef of them, exactly in the fame manner as they kill a fheep. The operation too is marked by the fame term (dhebbah). He tell and struggled for fome time; the reft fuffered in their turn. The three lait were much agitated, and the youngest wept. The two first had bone their fate with becoming firmnefs. The crowd that had affembled had fcarcely fatiated itself with the fpectacle of their convulfive motions, while proftrate in the duft, when the flaves of the executioner coolly brought him a fmall block of wood, and began mangling their feet with an axe. I was furprized at this among Mohammedans, whofe decency in all that concerns the dead, is generally worthy applaufe. Nor did it diminish my aftonishment, that having at length cut off their feet, they took away the fetters which had been worn by the criminals, in themfelves of very confiderable value, and left the bodies where they were. Private humanity, and not public order, afterwards afforded them fepulture. It had happened this year, that fome exceffes had been committed by perfons in a state of inebriation, and the Sultan having had cognizance of the fact, could find a remedy only in force. He ordered fearch to be made in all houfes throughout the country for the utenfils for making merifé, directed that those who fhould be found

* It is not ufual with Mohammedans to eat meat in fuch a ftate. It is reported in Soudan, I know not how truly, that the leopard, after he has fcized his prey, leaves it till it becomes putrid before he eats it.

in a state of intoxication, fhould be capitally punished; and the wo men who made it should have their heads fhaved, be fined severely, and exposed to all poffible ignominy. The Furians had, however, been habituated to merife before they had known their monarch, or the Illam. The feverity of the order, therefore, and the numbers trefpaffing against it, defeated the Sultan's purpose. It was indeed put in execution, and a few miferable women fuffered unrelenting tonfure, and innumerable earthen jars were indignantly ftrewed piecemeal in the paths of the faithful; but the opulent, as is ufual, efcaped with impunity, and fome were bold enough to fay, that the eyes even of the Sultan's women were still reddened with the voluptuous beverage, while priefts and magiftrates were bearing the fulminating edict from one extremity of the empire to the other. It is certain, that fubfequent to this new law, the minds of the troops were much alienated from the monarch, and, it is thought, that no other caufe than this was to be fought. The monarch who admits of no licence, will never reign in the hearts of the foldiery; and he must give up the hope of their affections, who is difpofed to become an impartial cenfor of the public morals." P. 222.

After being detained for the space of almoft three years, the author found the means of departing for Egypt. He then employs five chapters to defcribe the topography of DAR-FUR, its government, manners, &c. &c. to which we refer the reader, making but one more fhort extract.

"The lion and leopard, though common in a certain district, are not found near the feat of government. The Arabs hunt them, ftrip off the skin, which they fell, and often eat the flesh, which they conceive generates courage and warlike difpofition. They occafionally take them young, and bring for fale to the Jalebs, who fometimes carry them as prefents to the great men in Egypt. I purchased two lions, the one was only four months old when I bought him. By degrees, having little elfe to employ me, I had rendered him fo tame, that he had most of the habits of a dog. He fatiated himself twice a week with the offal from a butchers, and then commonly flept for feveral hours fucceffively. When food was given them they both grew ferocious towards each other, and towards any one who approached them. Except at that time, though both were males, I never saw them difagree, nor hew any figns of ferocity towards the human race. Even lambs paffed them unmolefted. The largest has grown to the height of thirty inches and a half over the shoulders. The ennui of a painful detention, devoid of books and rational fociety, was foftened by the company of thefe animals, and the fatisfaction was not fmall, even for this fpecies of diverfion. At length, towards the end of my ftay, after they had been with me more than two years, finding it impoffible, under the circumftances I then was, to carry them with me, I fhot the one; and the other, either from difeafe or the lofs of his companion, died a few day afterwards. The Sultan had alfo two tame lions, which, with their attendant, came into the market to feed." P. 262.

Arriving