He accordingly
"performed two very arduous and interesting journies into the ancient
Ethiopia; one of them along the banks of the Nile from Assouan to Dar al
Mahas on the frontiers of Dongola, in the months of February and March,
1813, during which he discovered many remains of ancient Egyptian and
Nubian architecture, with Greek inscriptions; the other between March and
July in the following year, through Nubia to Souakun. The details of this
journey contain the best notices ever received in Europe of the actual
state of society, trade, manufactures, and government, in what was once the
cradle of all the knowledge of the Egyptians."
Although it will carry us a little out of our regular and stated course, to
notice the other travels of this enterprising man in the place, yet we
prefer doing it, in order that our readers, by having at once before them a
brief abstract of all he performed for geography, may the better be enabled
to appreciate his merits.
Soon after his second return to Cairo, he resolved to penetrate into
Arabia, and to visit Mecca and Medina. In order to secure his own safety,
and at the same time gain such information as could alone be obtained in
the character of a Mahomedan, he assumed the dress, and he was enabled to
personate the religion, manners, and language of the native Hadje, or
pilgrims.
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