/O TRAVELS IN UPPER 



rations were made. All my arrangements had been 

 concerted with the black chief of the caravan ; to 

 conclude, I was on the jDoint of commencing this 

 long journey, when an incident happened which 

 obliged me to renounce it for ever. 



The employment of Ibrahim gave him some 

 authority over the Nubians of the caravan. I en- 

 gaged him to use his credit to make a treaty for 

 my journey with the chief or Kuhir ; this is the 

 name given in Nubia to men in power, from the 

 Arabic word kelnr, which signifies^r^<2/. The Nu- 

 bian demanded at first an exorbitant sum. We had 

 several conferences at the house of Ibrahim, on this 

 subject, through the medium of the Maronite in- 

 terpreter. But the Kahir not choosing to abate his 

 demands, I quitted him without coming to any 

 terms. Some days after, this same Nubian came 

 to me at my own house : he was grown more 

 reasonable. His price, though he had diminished 

 it greatly, was still excessive : however, he wished 

 to speak to me in private. After having dismissed 

 every body except the interpreter, he asked me 

 with a great appearance of mystery if I possessed 

 any drugs which were powerful love-potions. He 

 assured me that medicines of this sort were alone 

 held in estimation in his country, where, said he, 

 every action, every thought, has a relation to the 

 pleasures of love ; and that nothing might be want- 

 ing 



