been at the pains; they understand I am afraid I feel his horns in my one another, I fuppofe, and the devil their mafter understands them both; but as for me, I comprehend their difcourfe no more than if it was Greek, as they fay. Greek! fays he, I am an afs; I fhould know well enough what they faid if they fpoke Greek.""Come, faid I, take a draught of this excellent water, and drink with me a health to his majefty king George III. and a long line of princes." I had in my hand a large cup made of a cocoanut shell, which I procured in Arabia, and which was brim-full. He drank to the king speedily and chearfully, with the addition of, "Confufion to his enemies," and toffed up his cap with a loud huzza "Now friend, faid 1, here is to a more humble, but ftill a facred name, here is to-Maria!" He asked if that was the Virgin Mary? I answered, "In faith I believe fo, Strates." He did not fpeak, only gave a humph of disapprobation. The day had been very hot, and the altercation I had with Woldo had occafioned me to speak fo much, that my thirst, without any help from curiofity, led me to thefe frequent libations at this long fought-for fpring, the most ancient of all altars. "Strates, faid I, Here is to our happy return. Come, friend, you are yet two toafts behind me; can you ever be fatiated with this excellent water?" "Look you, Sir, fays he very gravely, as for king George, I drank to him with all my heart, to his wife, to his children, to his brothers and fifters, God blefs them all! Amen; but as for the Virgin Mary, as I am no Papift, I beg to be excufed from drinking healths which my church does not drink. As for our happy return, God knows, there is no one wifhes it more fincerely than I do, for I have been long weary of this beggarly country. But you muft forgive me if I refufe to drink any more water. They fay thefe favages pray over that hole every morning to the devil, and belly already, from the great draught of that hellish water I drank first.”It was, indeed, as cold water as ever I tafted. "Come, come, said I, don't be peevish, I have but one toast more to drink.”—“ Peevith, or not peevish, replied States, a drop of it never again fhall cross my throat: there is no humour in this; no joke; fhew us fomething pleafant as you ufed to do; but there is no jeft in meddling with devil worshippers, witchcraft, and inchantments, to bring fome difcafe upon one's felf here, so far from home in the fields. No, nɔ, as many toasts in wine as you please,, or better in brandy, but no more water for Strates. I am fure I have done myself harm already with these follies-- God forgive me!”---“Then, faid I, I will drink it alone, and you are henceforth unworthy of the name of Greek; you do not even deferve the name of a Chriftian." Holding the full cup then to my head, "Here is to Catharine, Emprefs of all the Ruffias, and fuccefs to her heroes at Paros; and hear my prediction from this altar to-day, Ages fhall not pafs, before this ground whereon I now ftand will become a flourishing part of her dominions." He leaped on this a yard from the ground. If the old gentleman has whispered you this, fays he, out of the well, he has not kept you long time waiting; tell truth and fhame the devil, is indeed the proverb, but truth is truth, wherever it comes from; give me the cup, I will drink that health though I should die." He then held out both his hands. "Stra tes, faid I, be in no fuch hafte; remember the water is enchanted by 'devil-worthippers; there is no jefting with these, and you are far from home, and in the fields, you may catch fome difeafe, efpecially if you drink the Virgin Mary; God forgive you. Remember the horns the firft draught produced; they may with this come entirely through and through."--"The cup, the cup, fays he, and-fill it full; I defy the devil, and truft in St George and the dragon,-Here is to Catharine, Emprefs of the Ruffias, confufion to her enemies, and damnation to all at Paros."-" Well friend, faid I, you was long in refolving, but you have done it at laft to fome purpofe; I am fure I did not drink damnation to all at Paros."--"Ah, fays he, but I did, and will do it again-Damnation to all at Paros, and Cyprus, and Rhodes, Crete, and Mytilene into the bargain: Here it goes with all my heart. Amen, fo be it."-" And who do you think, faid I, are at Paros ?"—" Pray, who should be there, fays he, but Turks and devils, the worst race of monsters and oppreffors in the Levant; I have been at Paros myself; was you ever there?"-" Whether I was ever there or not is no matter, faid I, the emprefs's fleet, and an army of Ruffians, are now poibly there; and here you, without provocation, have drank damnation to the Ruffian fleet and army, who have come fo far from home, and are at this moment sword in hand to restore you to your liberty, and the free exercife of your religion; did not I tell you, you was no Greek, and scarcely deferved the name of a Christian !”—“ No, no, Sir, cries Strates, for God's fake do not fay fo, I would rather die. I did not understand you about Paros; there was no malice in my heart against the Ruffians. God will blefs them, and my folly can do them no harm - Hzza, Catharine, and victory!" whilft he toffed his c into the air. Mr Bruce's Reception at the Houfe of Welled Amlac, on his Return from the Source of the Nile *. IT T was on the 10th of November 1770 we left Geeth in our return to Gondar, and paffed the Abay, as be ore, under the church of Saint Michael Sacala. We defcended the hill through the wood, craffed the river Davola, and that night halted at a few huts, called Dembea, on the north-eaft fide of the entrance of a valley. On the 11th we continued our journey in our former road, till we arrived at the church of Abbo; we then turned to the right, our course N. by E. and at three quarters paft nine refted under the mountain on the right of the valley; our road lay fill through Goutto, but the country here is neither fo well inhabited nor fo pleafant as the weft fide of the Nile. At eleven, going N. N. E. we paffed the church of Tzion, about an eight part of a mile diftant to E. N. E.; we here have a diftinct view of the valley through which runs the Jemma, deep, wide, and full of trees, which continue up the fides of the mountains Amid Amid. At a quarter paft eleven we paffed a mall ftream coming from the weft, and attwelve another very dangerous river called Utchmi, the ford of which is in the midst of two cataracts, and the ftream very rapid; after paffing this river, we entered a narrow road in the midst of brushwood, pleafant and agreeable, and full of a kind of foxes of a bright gold colour. At three quarters paft one we halted at the houfe of Shalaka Welled Amlac, with whom I was well acquainted at Gondai; his houfe is called Welled Abea Abbo, from a church of Abbo, about an eight part of a mile distant. From the fame. I have romel, and fpirits, as, more than once, threw him into a fever and violent delirium. Luckily I was early informed of this by the fervant that was recovered, and who did not doubt but this was to end in his master's death, as it very probably might have done; but, by the interpofition of Ayto Ay. thy fubjce banished to Maitha, so that Welled Amlac remained attended by the fervant who had been fick with him, and was to be trafted. I have deferred, till the present occafion, the introducing of this remark able character to my reader, that I might not trouble him to go back to pall transactions that are not of confequence enough to interrupt the thread of my narrative. Soon after I had feen part of the royal family, that had been in ected with the fmall-lo and the Iteghe, we got the unwor pox, happily recovered, and was fetled at Kofcam in a house of my own, formerly belonging to Bafha Eufebi us, my friend Ayto Aylo recommended to my care a man from Maitfha, with two fervants, one of whom, with his master, had been taken ill of As I was the intermitting fever. fupplied plentifully with every neceffary by the Iteghe, the only inconvenience that I fuffered by this was, that of bringing a ftranger and a difeafe into my family. But as I was in a ftrange country, and every day ftood in need of the afliftance of the people in it, it was neceffary that I fhould do my part, and make myfelf as ufeful as poffible-when the opportunity came in my way. I therefore fubmitted, and according to Ayto Ay Jo's defire, received my two patients with the best grace poflible; and the rather, as I was told that he was one of the most powerful, refolute, and beft-attended robbers in all Maitfha; that he lay direly in my way to the fource of the Nile; and that, under his protection, I might bid defiance to Woodage Afahel, confidered as the great obftacle to my making that journey. The fervant was a poor, timid wreich, exceedingly afraid of dying. He adhered ftrictly to his regimen, and was very foon recovered. It was not fo with Welled Amlac; he had, as I faid, another fervant, who never, that I faw came within the door; but as often as I was out attending my other patients, or with the Iteghe, which was great part of the morning, he ftole a vifit to his mafter, and brought him as much raw meat, hyd Not to trouble the reader with uninterefting particulars, Shalaka Welled Amlac at last recovered after feveral weeks illness. When he firft came to my houfe he was but very indifferently cloathed, which, in a fick man, was a thing not to be remarked. As he had no change of raiment, his cloaths naturally grew worfe during the time he ftaid with me; and, indeed, he was a very beggarly fight when his disease had entirely left him. One evening, when I was remarking that he could not go home without killing the ground before the Iteghe, he faid, Surely not, and he was ready to go whenever I fhould think proper to bring him his cloaths. I underfood at firft from this, that he might have brought fome change of cloaths, and delivered them into my fervant's cuftody; but, upon farther explanation, I found he had not a rag but thofe upon his back; and he told me plainly, that he had much rather stay in my houfe all his life, than be fo difgraced before the world, as to leave it after fo long a flay, without my first having cloathed him from head to foot; afking me, with much confi dence, What fignifies your curing me, if you turn me out of your house like a beggar? I ftill thought there was fomething of jeft in this; and meeting Ayto Ay. lo that day at Kofcam, I told him, laughing, of the converfation that had paffed, and was anfwered gravely, There is no doubt, you must cloath in him; to be fure it is the cuftom." And his fervant, too? faid I." "Certainly, his fervant too; and if he had ten fervants that ate and drank your house, you muft cloath them all." "I think, faid I, Ayto Aylo, a physician at this rate had much bet ter let his patients die than recover them at his own expence." "Yagoube, fays Aylo, I fee this is not a cuftom in your country, but it is invariably one in this: it is not fo among the lower fet of people; but if you will pafs here as a man of fome degree of confequence, you cannot a void this without making Welled Amlac your enemy: the man is opulent; it is not for the value of the cloaths, but he thinks his importance among his neighbours is measured by the refpect fhewn him by people afar off; never fear, he will make you fome kind of return, and for the cloaths I fhall pay for them." "By no means, faid I, my good friend; I think the anecdote and cuftom is fo curious that it is worth the price of the cloaths; and I beg that you would believe, that, intending to go through Maitha, I confider it as a piece of friendship in you to have brought me under this obligation." "And foit is, fays he: I knew you would think fo; you are a cool difpaffionate man, and walk by advice, and do not break through the customs of the country, and this reconciles even bad men to you every day, and fo much the longer fhall you be in fafety." The reader will not doubt that I immediately fulfilled my obligation to Welled Amlac, who received his cloaths, a girdle, and a pair of fandals, in all to the amount of about two guineas, with the fame indifference as if he had been buying them for ready money. He then asked for his fervant's cloaths, which were ready for him. He only faid he thought they were too good, and hint ed as if he fhould take them for his his own ufe when he went to MaitVOL. XII. No. 69. X fha. I then carried him new-dreffed to the Iteghe, who gave him ftrict injunctions to take care of me if ever I thould come into his hands. He after went home with Ayto Aylo, nor did I ever know what was become of him till now, when we arrived at his houfe at Welled Abea Abbo, unless from fome words that fell in difcourfe from Fafil at Bamba. Shalaka Welled Amlac was, however, from home, but his wife, mother, and fifters, received us kindly, knowing us by report; and, without waiting for our landlord, a cow was inftantly flaughtered. The venerable mistress of this worthy family, Welled Amlac's mother, was a very ftout, chearful, woman, and bore no figns of infirmity or old age: his wife was, on the contrary; as arrant a hag as ever acted the part on the ftage; very active, however, and civil, and speaking very tolerable Amharic. His two fifters, about fixteen or feventeen; were really handfome; but Fafil's wife, who was there, was the most beautiful and graceful of them all; the feemed not to be paft eighteen, tall, thin, and of a very agreeable carriage and manners. The features of her face were very regular; she had fine eyes, mouth, and teeth, and dark-brown complexion; at firit fight a caft of melancholy feemed to hang upon her countenance, but this foon vanished, and the became very courteous, chearful, and most converfible of the whole, or at leaft feemed to wish to be fo; for, unfortunately, fhe spoke not a word of any language but Galla, though the underftood a little Amharic; our converfation did not fail to give great entertainment to the whole family, and for her part, the laughed beyond all meafure: The two fifters had been out helping my fervants in difpofing the baggage; but when they had pitched my tent, and were about to lay the mat trefs for fleeping on, the eldest of these interrupted interrupted them, and not being able to make herfelf understood by the Greeks, fhe took it up and threw it out of the tent door, whilft no abuse or opprobrious names were fpared by my fervants; one of whom came to tell me her impudence, and that if they underfood her, fhe faid I was to fleep with her this night, and they believed we were got into a houfe of thieves and murderers. To this I answered by a sharp reproof, defiring them to conform to every thing the family ordered them. I faw the fair nymph was in a violent paffion; fhe told her tale to the matrons with great energy, and avolubility of tongue paft imagination, and they all laughed. Fafil's wife called me to fit by her, and began to inftruct me, drolly enough, as they do children, but of what the faid I had not the smallest guefs. I endeavoured always to repeat Ker laft words, and this occafioned another vehement laugh, in which Fjoined as heartily as any, to keep up the joke, for the benefit of the company, as long as poffible. Immediately after this Weled Amlac arrived, and brought us the difagreeable news, that it was impoffible to proceed to the ford of the Abay, as two of the neighbouring Shums were at variance about their refpestive districts, and in a day or two would decide it by blows. The faces of all our companions fell at thefe news; but as I knew the man, it gave me little trouble, as I fuppofed the meaning to be, that, if we made it worth while, he would accompany us himfelf, and in that cafe we fhould pafs without fear; at any rate, I well knew that, after the obligations I had laid him under at Gondar, he could not, confiftent with the received ufages of the country, if it was but for his own reputation's fake, fail in receiving me in the very best manner in his power, and entertaining me to the utmost all the time I was in his house. Satisfied that I understood him, he put on the most chearful countenance: another cow was killed, great plenty of hydromel produced, and he prepared to regale us as fumptuously as poffible, after the manner of the country. We were there, as often before, obliged to overcome our repugnance to eating raw fleft. Shalaka Welled Amlac fet us the example, entertained us with the ftories of his hunting elephants, and feats in the last wars, molly roguish ones. where we were (which was indeed large, and contained himself, mother, wife, fifters, his horfes, mules, and fervants, night and day) was all hung round with the trunks of thefe ele phants, which he had brought from the neighbouring Kolla, near Guefgue, and killed with his own hands, for he was one of the boldest and belt horfemen in Abyffinia, and perfectly mafter of his arms. The room This Polyphemus's feast being £ nished, the horn of hydromel went briskly about. Welled Amlac's eldeft fifter, whofe name was Melectanea, took a particular charge of me, and I began to find the neceflity of retiring and going to bed while I was able. Here the former story came over again; the invariable cuftom of all Maitha and the country of the Galla, of eftablishing a relationship by fleeping with a near of kin, was enlarged upon; and, as the young lady herself was prefent, and prefented every hora of drink during this polite difpute concerning her perfon, Ido not know whether it will not be thought a greater breach of delicacy to have retufed than to have complied But what fuccefs Vanessa mett Fye upon the confcious mufe, fays› Lord Orrery; and fye, too, fay 1:-aman of honour and gallantry fhould BOE |