THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 153 



upon the carpet, then put the firman to his forehead, open- 

 ed it, and pretended to read it ; but he knew well the con- 

 tents, and I believe, befides, he could neither read nor write 

 any language. I then gave him the other letters from Cairo, 

 which he ordered his fecretary to read in his ear. 



All this ceremony being finimed, he called for a pipe, 

 and coffee. I refufed the firit, as never ufmg it ; but I drank 

 a difh of coffee, and told him, that I was bearer of a confiden- 

 tial mejfagt from Ali Bey of Cairo, and wiflied to deliver it to 

 him without witneffes, whenever he pleafed. The room 

 was accordingly cleared without delay, excepting his fecre- 

 tary, who was alfo going away, when I pulled him back by 

 the cloaths, faying, " Stay, if you pleafe, we mall need you 

 " to write the anfwer." We were no fooner left alone, than 

 I told the Aga, that, being a flranger, and not knowing the 

 difpofition of his people, or what footing they were on to- 

 gether, and being deiired to addrefs myfelf only to him by 

 the Bey, and our mutual friends at Cairo, I wiflied to put it 

 in his power (as he pleafed or not) to have witneffes of de- 

 livering the fmall prefent I had brought him from Cairo. 

 The Aga feemed veryfenfible of this delicacy; and particu- 

 larly defired me to take no notice to my landlord, the Schour- 

 batchie, of any thing I had brought him. 



All this being over, and a confidence eflablifhed with govern- 

 ment, I lent his prefent by his own fervant that night, under 

 pretence of defiring horfes to go to the cataract next day. 

 The meffage was returned, that the horfes were to be ready 

 by fix o'clock next morning. On the 21ft, the Aga fent me 

 his own horfe, with mules and afTcs for my fcrvants, 10 go 

 to the cataract. 

 Vol. I. U We 



