THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 543
fhe place where the city Hood, then, in place of 125 miles, the produce of 1000 iladia, I find it meafures 145 miles, a differ- ence as little to be regarded as the other.
Let us now examine what information we can leam from the report of the centurions fent on purpofe by Nero to explore this unknown country, whofe report has been looked upon as decifive of the diftances of places through which they palled.
These travellers pretend, that between Syene and the en- trance into the ifland of Meroe was- 873 miles, and from thence to the city 70 miles ; the whole diftance then be- tween Syene and the city of Meroe will be 943 miles, or 15° 43'. Now Syene was very certainly in 24°, a few minutes more or lefs ; and from this if we take 15°, there will remain 9" of latitude for the iiland of Meroe, according to th^ re- port of thefe centurions, and this would have carried Meroe far to the fouthward of the fountains of the Nile, and con- founded every idea of the geography of Africa. The paral- lel which marks 11° cuts Gojamveryexadly in the middle, and this peninfula may befaid to refemble the fliield called Pelta ; but very certainly not the Scutum, to which Diodorus has very properly hkened it. Befides, their own obfervation condemns them, for it is about Meroe where they firft faw an appearance of verdure ; thereafon of which is very plain, if the latitude of that city was in 16°, upo*^ the verge of the tropical rains,where, as ane) e-wifnefs, I who have paffed that dreary ditlance on foot can tellify, tliofe green* herbs and Ihrubs, though they begin, as is very properly and cautioufly expreffed, to appear there, feem neither luxuriant nor abun- dant.
But.-
