THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. r 95 



I was not got above a mile into the fands, when I began 

 to reflect on the folly of the undertaking. I was going in- 

 to the defert among a band of favages, whofe only trade 

 was robbery and murder, where, in all probability, I fhould 

 be as ill treated as the man I was attempting to fave. But, 

 feeing a crowd of people about half a mile before me, 

 and thinking they might be at that time murdering that 

 poor, honefl, and fimple fellow, all confideration of my own, 

 fafety for the time vanifhed. 



Upon my coming near them, fix or eight of them fur- 

 rounded me on horfeback, and began to gabble in their 

 own language, I was not very fond of my fituationl; It 

 would have coil them nothing to have thruft a lance 

 through my back, and taken the horfe away; and, after {trip- 

 ping me, to have buried me in a hillock of fand, if they 

 were fo kind as give themfelves that laft trouble. How- 

 ever, I picked up courage, and putting on the befl appear- 

 ance I could, faid to them.fteadily,without trepidation," What 

 men are thefe before r" The anfwer, after fome paufe, was, 

 they are men- and they looked very queerly, as if they meant 

 to alk each other, What fort of a fpark is this? " Are thofc be- 

 fore us Ababde, faid I ; are they from Shekh Ammer ?" One 

 of them nodded, and grunted fullenly, rather than faid 

 " Aye, Ababde from Shekh Ammer." " Then Salam Alicum! 

 faid I, we are brethren. How does the Nimmer? W r ho com- 

 mands you here ? Where is Ibrahim ? 



At the mention of Nimmer, and Ibrahim, their counten- 

 ance changed, not to any thing fweeter or gentler than be- 

 fore, but to a look of great furprife: They had not return- 

 ed my falutation,/<?tf« be between us; but one of them afked 



B b 2. ma. 



