AND LOWER EGYPT. 7^ 



ing to Ills gross imposture, he added that his king 

 had expressly commanded him to bring him some 

 strong stimulants of that nature. It was a very im- 

 proper time for him to think of such provision, at 

 the very moment when the caravan had already, so 

 to speak, one foot in the desert. I did not pay very 

 great attention to falsehoods, of which the people 

 of this country are not very sparing, and I replied 

 to the Kahir, that, charmed with the pleasant and 

 important occupations of his Sennaarian Majesty, I 

 would employ all the resources of my art in order 

 to preserve him, as well as his subjects, in such 

 happy dispositions. The negro appeared so well 

 satisfied with my reply, that he instantly abated, at 

 one stroke, the half of the price which he had de- 

 manded ; so that reckoning the provision which 

 I must have made, a jourr.ey so long and so difficult 

 would not have amounted to more than 150 pata- 

 cas, or about 800 francs (33/. 6s. 8J,). 



I flew to inform Ibrahim of the news which gave 

 me so much satisfaction. But he did not appear 

 to partake of my joy : he congratulated me very 

 coldly, and, in a tone of solicitude, he recom- 

 mended it to me to conclude nothing without his 

 interposition. 



Affairs had changed in a very wonderful manner. 

 It was no longer necessary for mc to express the 



desire 



