chandise, the heavier goods made the long detour in
boats, going up in large flotillas, both for protection against the
natives and for mutual aid in ascending the rapids which had to be
encountered. There was no difficulty in hiring another boat, for it
was the universal rule to make a transshipment here, as the Egyptian
boatmen were unwilling to enter Meroe. The transport beyond this
point, therefore, was in the hands of the people of this country.

In consultation with the traders gathered at Semneh Jethro learned
that it was by no means necessary to proceed up the river to the city
of Meroe[C] and thence eastward through Axoum, the capital of
Abyssinia, to the sea, but that a far shorter road existed from the
easternmost point of the bend of the river direct to the sea. There
were, indeed, several large Egyptian towns upon the Red Sea, and from
these a flourishing trade was carried on with Meroe and Abyssinia; and
the first merchant to whom Jethro spoke was much surprised to find
that he was in ignorance of the existence of the route he had
described.

[C] Now Khartoum.

The journey, although toilsome, was said to be no more so than that
from Meroe through Axoum, while the distance to be traversed was small
in comparison. After much consultation it was therefore agreed that
the best plan was to dispose of the merchandise that they had brought
with them to one of the traders about to proceed south, retaining
only sufficient for the payment of the men whom it would be necessary
to take with them for protection on their journey. Jethro had no
difficulty in doing this, alleging as his reason for parting with his
goods that he found that the expenses to Meroe would greatly exceed
the sum he had calculated upon, and that therefore he had determined
to proceed no further. As they thought it best to allow six months
from the date of their departure from Thebes to elapse before they
entered any large Egyptian town, they remained for nearly two months
at Semneh, and then finding that a flotilla of boats was ready to
ascend the river, they made an arrangement with some boatmen for the
hire of their craft to the point where they were to leave the river
and again set out on their journey.

The difficulties of the journey were very great. After traveling for
some sixty miles they came to rapids more dangerous than any they had
passed, and it took the flotilla more than a fortnight passing up
them, only four or five boats be