THE SOURCE OF HE NILE. 319 



before an old man and a boy came down to us. As they 

 had no arms, I went afhore, and bought a fkin of water. 

 The old man had a very thievifh appearance, was quite na- 

 ked, and laughed or fmiled at every word he faid. He fpoke 

 Arabic, but very badly ; told me there was great plenty of 

 every thing in the country whither he would carry me. He 

 faid, moreover, that there was a king there, and a people that, 

 loved ftrangers. 



The murder of the boat's crew of the Elgin Eaft-India- 

 man, in that very fpot where he was then fitting and praif- 

 ing his countrymen, came prefently into my mind. I 

 found my hand involuntarily take hold of my piftol, and I 

 was, for the only time in my life, ftrongly tempted to com- 

 mit murder. I thought I faw in the looks of that old vag- 

 rant, one of thofe who had butchered fo many Englifhmen 

 in cold blood.. 



From his readinefs to come down, and being fo near 

 the place, it was next to impoflible that he was not one of 

 the party. A little reflection, however, faved his life; 

 and I afked him if he could fell us a fheep, when he faid 

 they were coming. Thefe words put me on my guard, 

 as I did not know how many people might accompany 

 them. I therefore delired him to bring me the water to the 

 boat, which the boy accordingly did, and we paid him, in 

 cohol, or flibium, to his wifhes. 



Immediately upon this I ordered them to put the boat 

 afloat, demanding, all the time, where were the fheep ? A 

 few minutes afterwards, four ftout young men came down, 

 dragging after them two lean goa.ts, which the old man 



main- 



