THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 425
merits of the parapets remained, and the bridge itfelf feem- ed to bear the appearance of frequent repairs, and many at- tempts to ruin it ; otherwife, in its conftruction, it was ex- ceedingly commodious. The Nile here is confined between two rocks, and runs in a deep trough, with great roaring and impetuous velocity. We were told no crocodiles were ever feen fo high, and were obliged to remount the ftream above half a mile before we came to the cataract, through trees and buihes of the fame beautiful and delightful appearance with thofe we had feen near Dara.
The cataract itfelf was the mod magnificent fight that ever I beheld. The height has been rather exaggerated. The miflionaries fay the fall is about fixteen ells, or fifty feet. The meafuring is, indeed, very difficult, but, by the pofition of long flicks, and poles of different lengths, at dif- ferent heights of the rock, from the water's edge, I may venture to fay that it is nearer forty feet than any other mcafure. The river had been confiderably increafed by rains, and fell in one lheet of water, without any interval, above half an Englilli mile in breadth, with a force and noife that was truly terrible, and which flunned and made me, for a time, perfectly dizzy. A thick fume, or haze, co- vered the fall all round, and hung over the courfe of tire ftream both above and below, marking its track, though the water was not feen. The river, though fwelled with rain, preferved its natural ciearnefs, and fell, as far as I could difcern, into a deep pool, or bafon, in the folid rock, which was full, and in twenty different eddies to the very foot of the precipice, the ftream, when it fell, feeming part of it to run back with great fury upon the rock, as well as for-
Vol. III. 3 H ward
