a vast tract of barren rocks and burning sands, extending from Syene in Upper Egypt to Geon the capital of Berber in Nubia. As Syene is in latitude $24^\circ$ $4'$ north, and Geon in latitude $17^\circ$ $57'$ $22''$ north, the length of this desert from north to south is $6^\circ$ $3'$ $23''$, or upwards of 420 English miles. Its breadth from east to west has not, as far as we know, been precisely ascertained. Through this horrid region, where nothing is to be seen which has the breath of life, must all travellers pass from Syene to Egypt; in danger every moment of perishing by thirst, being overwhelmed by moving columns of sand, suffocated by a hot and poisonous wind, or cut in pieces by troops of wandering Arabs. The last European of whom we have heard that made the journey and lived to give an account of it, is Mr Bruce; and the person must have neither taste nor sensibility who can read unmoved his manly narrative.

No single traveller, nor even a caravan, can enter with safety into this desert, but under the protection of a Hybear; whose title and office are thus explained by Mr Bruce: "A Hybear is a guide; from the Arabic word Hubbar, which signifies to inform, instruct, or direct, because they are used to do this office to the caravans travelling through the desert in all directions. They are men of great consideration, knowing perfectly the situation and properties of all kinds of water to be met with on the route, the distance of wells, whether occupied by enemies or not; and if so, the way to avoid them with the least inconvenience. It is also necessary that they should know the places occupied by the Simoon, and the seasons of its blowing (see Simoon), as well as those occupied by moving sands." — Under the conduct of one of these men, Mr Bruce, with infinite fortitude and address, passed through the desert in the year 1772, surmounting dangers at which one shudders in his closet. Of these, the following, which we shall give in the nervous language of the author, may serve as an instance.

"We were here (at a place called Weadi al Halboub) at once surprised and terrified by a sight surely one of the most magnificent in the world. In that vast expanse of desert, from W. and to N.W. of us, we saw a number of prodigious pillars of sand at different distances, at times moving with great celerity, at others stalking on with a majestic slowness. At intervals we thought they were coming in a very few minutes to overwhelm us; and small quantities of sand did actually more than once reach us. Again, they would retreat so as to be almost out of sight; their tops reaching to the very clouds. There the tops often separated from the bodies; and these once disjoined, dispersed in the air, and did not appear more. Sometimes they were broken in the middle as if struck with a large cannon shot. About noon they began to advance with considerable swiftness upon us, the wind being very strong at north. Eleven of them ranged alongside of us about the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to me at that distance as if it would measure 10 feet. They retired from us with a wind at S.E. leaving an impression upon my mind to which I can give no name; though surely one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable degree of wonder and astonishment."

If it be true, as the author of A Philosophical Inquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful affirms, that "the passion raised by the sublime is astonishment, and that astonishment is that state of the soul in which all its motions are suspended with some degree of horror," surely a more sublime spectacle was never presented to mortal eyes than that which was on this occasion presented to Mr Bruce. It must have been awfully majestic; but few, we believe, would choose the pleasure of contemplating such a scene of magnificence at the hazard of that dreadful death with which at every moment it threatened our traveller and his attendants. He, indeed, had firmness of mind to stand still and admire it; but his companions shrieked out; while some of them exclaimed that it was the day of judgment, and others that it was hell or the world set on fire. But for a more particular account of this phenomenon, as well as of the nature of the desert and the proper way of passing it, we must refer to the work from which this short sketch is taken.