THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 251 



They afked me where I came from ? I faid, from Conftan- 

 tinople, lafl from Cairo ; but begged they would put no 

 more queftions to me, as I was not at liberty to anfwer them. 

 They faid they had orders from their mailers to bid me wel- 

 come, if I was the perfon that had been recommended to 

 them by the Sherriffe, and was Ali Bey's phyfician at Cairo. 

 I faid, if Metical Aga had advifed them of that, then I was 

 the man. They replied he had, and were come to bid me 

 welcome, and attend me on fhore to their mafters, when- 

 ever I pleafed. I begged them to carry my humble refpects 

 to their mafters ; and told them, though I did not doubt of 

 their protection in any fhape, yet I could not think it confid- 

 ent with ordinary prudence, to rifk myfelf at ten o'clock at 

 night, in a town fo full of diforder as Yambo appeared to have 

 been for fome time, and where fo little regard was paid to 

 difcipline or command, as to fight with one another. They 

 faid that was true, and I might do as I pleafed ; but the firing 

 that I had heard did not proceed from fighting, but from 

 their rejoicing upon making peace. 



In fhort, we found, that, upon fome difcuffion, the gar- 

 rifon and townfmen had been fighting for feveral days, in 

 which diforders the greateft part of the ammunition in the 

 town had been expended, but it-had fince been agreed on 

 by the old men of both parties, that no body had been to 

 blame on either fide, but the whole wrong was the work of 

 a Camel. A camel, therefore, was feized, and brought with- 

 out the town, and there a number on both fides having met, 

 they upbraided the camel with every thing that had been 

 either faid or done. The camel had killed men, be had 

 threatened to fet the town on fire ; the camel had threatened 

 to burn the Aga's houfe, and the caftle ; he had curfed the 



I i s Grand 



