a kingdom of Africa, bounded on the north by Egypt, on the east by the Red sea and part of Abyssinia, on the west by the kingdoms of Tagua, Gaoga, and the desert of Gerham. The river Nile runs through it; on the banks of which, and those of the other rivers, it is pretty fruitful, but in other places barren, sandy, and in want of water. To the west of the Nile is the desert of Bahouda, which is five days journey over, being the usual road from Egypt to Abyssinia. Money is of no use in this country in the way of trade, it being all carried on by way of exchange. Their bread and drink is made of a small round feed, called dora or seff, which is very ill tasted. Their houses have mud walls, being very low, and covered with reeds. The habit of the better sort is a vest without sleeves; and they have no coverings for their heads, legs, and feet. The common people wrap a piece of linen cloth about them, and the children go quite naked. They are a stupid debauched sort of people, having neither modesty, civility, nor religion, though they profess to be Mahometans.—The productions of this country are gold, elephants teeth, civet, and fandal wood; and they send a great many slaves into Egypt. The principal towns known to the Europeans are Dongola and Sennaar.

It is famous for a race of horses the most powerful and docile in the world. These animals are generally about fifteen hands high; and by Mr Bruce, who has given the most scientific account of them, they are said to be the breed which was introduced into Nubia at the Saracen conquest, and has been preserved unmixed to this day. Our author represents this as a much nobler animal than the Arabian horse. "What figure (he says*) the Nubian horse would make in point of fleetness is very doubtful, his make being so entirely different from that of the Arabian; but if beautiful symmetry of parts, great size and strength, the most agile, nervous, and elastic movements, great endurance of fatigue, docility of temper, and seeming attachment to men beyond that of any other domestic animal, can promise anything for a stallion, the Nubian is above all comparison the most eligible in the world." He thinks, and justly thinks, that an attempt should at least be made to import them into this kingdom. "The expense (he says) would not be great, though there might be some trouble and application necessary: but if adroitly managed, there would not be much even of that. The Nubiens are very jealous in keeping up the pedigree of their horses, which are black or white, but a vast proportion of the former to the latter." Our author never saw the colour which we call gray, i.e. dappled; but he has seen some bright bays, and some inclined to sorrel. All noble horses in Nubia are said to be descended of one of the five upon which Mahomet and his four immediate successors, Abu Beer, Omar, Atmen, and Ali, fled from Mecca to Medina the night of the Hegira. No one will pay much regard to this legendary tale, or believe that the strength and beauty of this breed of horses is owing to any virtue communicated to the first of them by the prophet and his apostles. Mr Bruce accounts for their excellence upon rational principles. "The best horses of the Arabian breed are found (he says) in the tribe of Mowelli and Annecy, which is about 36° north latitude. Dongola, which is in 25° latitude, seemed to him to be the centre of excellence for this noble animal." Hence he infers, that the bounds in which the horse is in greatest perfection, are between the 20th and 36th degrees of latitude, and between 30 degrees of longitude cast from Greenwich and the banks of the Euphrates. If to the effects of climate we add the manner of feeding the Nubian horses, we shall perhaps have the true cause of their superiority over all others. "They are kept fat upon dora, and suffered to eat nothing green but the short roots of grass that are to be found by the side of the Nile, after the fun has withered it. This is dug out where it is covered with earth, and appears blanched, and laid in small heaps once a-day on the ground before them."