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government, begging that you would favour my curiouity fo far as to fuffer me to fee the country of the Agows, and the fource of the Abay, or Nile, part of which I have feen in Egypt."

n it, and another ftretched like a carpet before his feet, and had a cot ton cloth, fomething like a dirty towel, wrapped about his head; his upper cloak, or garment, was drawn tight about him over his neck andThe fource of the Abay! exclaimhoulders, so as to cover his hands; I howed, and went forward to kifs one of them, but it was fo entangled in the cloth that I was obliged to kifs the cloth instead of the hand. This was done, either as not expect ing I fhould pay him that compliments (as I certainly should not have done, being one of the king's fervants, if the Ring had been at Gondar) or elfe it was intended for a mark of difrefpect, which was very much of a piece with the rest of his behaviour afterwards.

There was no carpet or cushions in the tent, and only a little ftraw, as if accidentally, thrown thinly about it. I fat down upon the ground, thinking him fick; not knowing what all this meant; he looked ited taftly at me, faying, half under his breath, Endett nawi? bogo nawi? which, in Amharic, is, How do you do? Are you very well? I made the ufual anfwer, Well, thank God. He again ftopt, as for me to speak; there was only one old man prefent, who was fitting on the floor mending a mule's bridle. I took him at firit for an attendant, but obferving that a fervant uncovered held a candle to him, I thought he was one of his Galla, but then I faw a blue filk thread, which he had a bout his neck; which is a badge of Christianity all over Abyilinia, and which a Galla would not wear. What he was I could not make out; he feemed, however, to be a very bad cobler, and took no notice of usi

Ayto Aylo's fervant, who flood behind me, pushed me with his knee, as a fign that I thould fpeak, which I accordingly began to do with fome difficulty. "I am come, faid I, by your invitation, and the king's leave, to pay my respects to you in your own VOL. XII. No. 68.

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ed he, with a pretended furprife, do you know what you are saying? Why; it is, God knows where, in the country of the Galla, wild, terrible people. The fource of the Abay! Are you raving! repeats he again? Are you to get there, do you think, in a twelvemonth, or more, or when?"

Sir, fad, the king told me it was near Sacala, and ftill dearer Geefh; both villages of the Agows, and both in your government.." "And fo you know Scala and Geeth? fays he, whistling and half angry." " I can repeat the names that I hear, faid I; all Abyffinia knows the head of the Nile."" Aye, fays he, imitating my voice and manner; but all Abyl finia won't carry you there; that I promife you." "If you are refolved to the contrary, faid I, they will not; Iwith you had told the king fo in time, then I fhould not have attempted it ; it was relying upon you alone I came fo far, confident, if all the reft of Abyffinia could not protect me there, that your word fingly could do it.”

He now put on a look of more complacency. Look you, Yagoube, fays he, it is tue I can do it; and, for the king's take who recommended it to me, I would do it; but the Acab Saat, Abba Sala na, has fent to me, to defire me not to let you pafs further; he fays it is against the law of the land to permit Franks like you to go about the country, and that he has dreamed fomething ill will befal me if you go into Maitha." I was as much irritated as I thought it poffible for me to be "So for faid I, the time of p ieffs, prophets, and dreamers is coming on again." "1 underftand you, fays he, laughing for the firft time; I care as little for priests as Michael does, and for prophets

too,

100, but I would have you confider the men of this country are not like yours; a boy of thefe Galia would think nothing of killing a man of your country. You white people are all effeminate; you are like fo many women; you are not fit for going into a province where all is war, and inhabited by inen, warriors from their eradle."

I faw he intended to provoke me; and he had fucceeded fo effectually that I should have died, I believe, imprudent as it was, if I had not told him my mind in reply. "Sir, faid 1, I have paffed through many of the mit berbarous nations in the world; all of them, excepting this clan of yours, have fome great men among them above using a defenceless ftranger ill. But the worft and loweft individual among the most uncivilized people never treated me as you have done to-day under your own roof, where I have come fo far for protection." He asked, “How ?! « You have, in the first place, faid I public ly called me Frank, the moft odious name in this country, and fufficient to ccalion me to be floned to death without further ceremony, by any fet of men wherever I may prefent myfelf. By Frank you mean one of the Rom for religion, to which my nation is as adverfe as yours; and again, Without having ever fun any of my Countrymen but my'el', you have dif covered, from that fpecimen, that we are all cowards and effeminate peos pie, like, or inferior to, your boys or women. Look you, Sir, you never heard that I gave myfelf cut as more than an ordinary man in my own country, far lefs to be a pattern of what is excellent in it. I am no fol eier, though I know enough of war to fee yours are poor proficients in that trade. But there are foldiers, friends, and countrymen of mine, (one prefents himself to my mind at

this inftant*), who would not think it au action in his life to vaunt of, that with 500 men he had trampled all yon naked favages into duit. On this Fafil made a feigned laugh,, and feemed rather to take my freedom amifs. It was, 'doubtlefs, a paffionate and rafi fpeech. As to myfelf, continued I, unfilled in war as I am, could it be now without further confequence, let me but be armed in my own country fashion on horfeback, as I was pefterday, I fhould, without thinking mylelf overmatched, light the two belt horfemen you fhall choote from this your army of famous nen, who are watriots from their cradle; and if, when the king arrives, you are not returned to your duty, and we meet again, as we did at Lirajour, I will pledge myfelf, with his permiffien, to put you in mind of this promif." This did not make things better.

*

He repeated the word duty after me, and would have replied, but my nofe burst out in a stream of bloed; and, that inftant, Aylo's fervant took hold of me by the fhoulder to hurry me out of the tent. Fafil feemed to be a good deal concerned, for the blood itreamed ont upon my cloaths. The old man likewife affifted me when out of the tent; I found he was Guebra Ehud, Ayto Aylo's brother, whofe fervat we had met on the road. I returned then to my tent, and the blood was foon ftaunched. I fat down to recollect my feif, andthe more

calmed, the more I was difflatisfied at being put off my guard"; but it is impoble to conceive the provocation without having proved it. I have felt but too often how much the love of our native foil increafes by our abfence from it; and how jealous we are of comparifons made to the difadvantage of our countrymen by people who, all proper allowances being made, are generally not their equals, when they would boaft themfelves

their

It is with pleasure I confefs the nian then in my mind was my brave friend Sir Wil la Erikine.

their fuperiors. I will confefs further, in gratification to my critics, that I was, from my infancy, of a fanguine, paffionate difpofition; very fenfible of injuries that I had neither provoked nor deserved; but much reflection, from very early life, continual habits of fuffering in long and dangerous travels, where nothing but patience would do, had, I flattered my felf, abundantly fubdued my natural proneness to feel offences, which, common sense might teach me, I could only revenge upon myfeli

However, upon further confulting my own breaft, I found there was another caufe had co-operated strong ly with the former in making me lofe my temper at this time, which, upon much greater provocation, I had never done before. I found now, as I thought, that it was decreed decifively my hopes of arriving at the fource of the Nile were for ever ended; all my trouble, all my expences, all my time, and all my fuiferings for fo many years were thrown away, from no greater obftacle than the whimfies of une barbarian, whofe good inclinations, I thought, I had long before fufficiently fecured; and, what was worle, I was now got within lefs than forty miles of the place I fo much withed to fee: and my hopes were well hipwrecked upon the lait, as the most unexpected, difliculty I had

10 encounter.

as

I was just going to bed when Ayto Wellera Michael, Ras Michael's Bephew, taken at Limjour, and a prifoner with Fafil, though now at large, cime into the tent. I need not re peat the difcourfe thar paffed between us, it was all condolence upon the illufage I had met with. He curfed Fail, called him a thousand opprobrious names, and faid, Ras Michael one day would fhew me his head upon a pole: he hinted, that he thought Faexpected a prefent, and imagined that I intended to pass the king's rei

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commendation on him in the place of
it. I have a prefent, faid I, and a
it.
very handfome one, but I never
thought that, while his nagarcet was
ftill beating, and when he had fcarce-
ly pitched his tent when he was tired,
and I no les fo, that it was then a
time to open baggage for this pur-
pofe; if he had waited till to-morrow,
he fhould have had a gratification
which would have contented him.

Well, well, faid Welleta Michael, as for your journey I fhall undertake for that, for I heard him giving orders about it when I came away, even though he expects no prefent; what does the gratifying of your cur ofity coft him? he would be athamed to refufe

you permiffion; his own vanity would hinder him. This affurance, more than all the quieting draughts in the world, compofed my mind, and brought me to myfe f. I went to bed, and falling into a found fleep, was waked near mid-night by two of Fa fi's fervants, who brought each of them a lean live theep; they faid they had brought the sheep, and were come to ask how I was, and to stay all night to watch the Loufe, for teat of the thieves in the army; they likewife brought their mafter's ercer lor me to come early in the morning to him, as he wanted to difpatch me on, my journey before he gave the Galla liberty to return. This d fpell-d ere ry doubt, but it railed my fpirits fo much, that, cut of impatience f morning, 1 flept very little more that night.

It was a time of year when it is not broad day till after fix o'clock; I went to the camp and faw Guebrá Ehud, who confirmed what Welle'a Michael had faid, and that Fafl had given orders for bringing feveral of his own horfes for me, to choofe which he was to prefent me with; in effect there were about twelve horles' all faddled and bridled, which were led by a matter-groom. I was very indifferent about the horses, having

a gupa

a good one of my own, and there was most on the earth or in the air was none of thefe that would in this he kicked behind, reared before, leap country have brought 71. at a marked like a deer, all four off the ground, et; the fervant, who feemed very of and it was fome time before I recol ficious, pitched upon a bright bay lected myself; he then attempted to poney, the fatteft of the whole, but gallop, taking the bridle in his teeth, hot ftrong enough in appearance to but got a check which staggered him ; carry me; he allured me, however, he, however, continued to gallops the horse had excellent paces, was a and, finding I flacked the bridle on great favourite of Fafil's, but too dull his neck, and that he was at eafe, he and quiet for him, and defired me to fet off and ran away as hard as he mount him, though he had no other could, flinging out behind every ten furniture but the wooden part of a yards; the ground was very favour faddle covered with thin, brown leathable, fmooth, foft, and up-hill er, and instead of stirrups, iron rings. All the Abyffinians, indeed, ride bare-footed and legged, and put only their great toc into the iron ring, holding it betwixt their great and fecond toe, as they are afraid of being entangled by the firrup if their horfe falls, thould they put their foot into it.

I confented to try him very will ingly. A long experience with the Moors in Barbary put me above fear of any horfe, however vicious, which I had no reafon to think this was; bendes, I rode always with a Barbary bridle, broad ftirrups, and thort 'ftir rup-leathers, after their fashion; the bridle is known to every fcholar in horsemanship, and fhould be used by every light-horfeman or dragoon, for the most vicious horfe cannot advance a yard against this bridle, when in a ftrong hand. I ordered the feis, or groom, to change the fadle and bridle for mine, and I had on a pair of fpurs with very long and harp rowels. I faw prefently the horfe did not like the bit, but that I did not wonder at

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We paffed the poft of the Fit-Auraris like lightning, leaving him exceedingly furprifed at feeing me make off with his mafter's horse He was then going to the head-quarters, but faid nothing at paffing; we went down one hill aukwardly enough; and, when we got to a fmall plain and a brook be low, the horfe would have gone easily enough either a trot or walk up the other, but I had only to shake my tirrups to make him fet off again at a violent gallop, and when he ftopt he trembled all over. I was now res folved to gain a victory, and hung my upper cloak upon a tree, the attempting which occafioned a new battle; but he was obliged to fubmit, I then between the two hills, half up the one and half up the other, wrought him fo that he had no longer either breath or ftrength, and I began 10 think he would fcarce carry me to. the camp.

I now found that he would walk very quietly; that a gentle touch of the pür would quicken him, but that he had no ftrength or inclina tion to gallop; and there was no more rearing or kicking up behind. I put my cloak, therefore, about me in the beft manner poffible, just as if it had never been ruled or dilcompofed by motion, and in this manner repaffing the Fit-Auraris' quarters, came in fight of the camp, where a large field fown with teff, and much watered, was in front, I went out of the read

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Into this field, which I knew was very foft and deep, and therefore favour. able for me. Coming near Fafil's tent, the horse ftopt upon gently ftraitening the bridle, as a horfe properly broke would have done, on which my fervant took the faddle and bridle, and returned the groom his

own.

The poor beaft made a fad figure, eut in the fides to pieces, and bleed. ing at the jaws; and the feis, the raf cal that put me upon him, being there when I difmounted, he held up his hands upon feeing the horfe fo mang led, and began to testify great furprife upon the fuppofed harm I had done. I took no notice of this, only faid, Carry that horse to your mafter; he may venture to ride him now, which is more than either he or you dared to have done in the morning.

As my own hole was bridled and faddled, and I found myfelf violently irritated, I refolved to ride to compofe myself a little before another in. terview, for I thought this laft piece of treachery, that might have coft me my legs and arms, was worfe than what paffed in the rent the night before; it seemed to be aimed at my life, and ao put a very effectual ftop to the continuing my journey. My fervant had in his hand a fhort doublebarrelled gun loaded with fhot for killing any uncommon bird we might fee by the way. I took the gun and my horfe, and went up the fide of the green hill about half way, in fair view

of the camp, and confiderably above it. I galloped, trotted, and made my horie perform every thing he was capable of. He was excellent in his movements, and very fufficiently trained; this the Galla beheld at once with aftonishment and pleasure; they are naturally fond of horses, fuffici ently perfect in the ufeful part of horfemanship, to be fenfible of the beauty of the ornamental.

There was then, as there always is, a vait number of kites following the camp, which are quite familiar and live upon the carrion; choofing two gliding near me, I fhot firft one on the right, then one on the left; they both fell dead on the ground; a great fhout immediately followed from the fpectators below, to which I seeming ly paid no attention, pretending abfo lute indifference, as if nothing extraordinary had been done. I then difmounted from my orfe, giving him and my gun to my fervant, and, fitting down on a large ftone, I began to apply fome white paper to ftaunch a fall fcratch the firtt horfe had given me on the leg, by rubbing it a gainft a thorn tree; as my trowlers, indeed, were all stained with the blood of the first hoife, much cut by the fpur, it was generally thought I was wounded.

[Fafil afterwards made amends for this ufage, by furnishing Mr Bruce with the means of arriving at the fource of the Nile; the obje&t af all his wishes]

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