THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. fcog 



e'en, had parted between us fince conferring the favour. 

 Undemanding now what was the matter, he called Yafine, 

 and gave him a large package, which he imprudently open- 

 ed, in which was a treafure of all the beads in fafhion, all 

 but the white and blue bugles, and thefe Yaline himfelf fur- 

 nimed us with afterwards. 



A great fhout was {et up by the women - purchaferp, 

 and a violent fcramble followed. Twenty or thirty threw 

 themfelves upon the parcel, tearing and breaking all the 

 firings as if they intended to plunder us. This joke did not 

 feem to be relifhed by the fervants. Their hard-heartednels 

 before, in profeiling they would let us itarve rather than 

 give us a handful of flour for all our unfalhionable beads, 

 had quite extinguifhed the regard we elf'e would have un- 

 avoidably fliewn to the fair fex. A dozen of whips and 

 flicks were laid unmercifully upon their hands and arms, 

 till each' dropped her booty. The Abyflinian men that 

 came with them feemed to be perfectly unconcerned at the 

 fray, and flood laughing without the leaft flgn of wifhing 

 to interfere in favour of either fide. I believe the reftitution 

 would not have been complete, had not Yafine, who knew 

 the country well, fired one of the ihip-blunderbufles into 

 the air behind their backs. At hearing fo unexpectedly 

 this dreadful noife, both men and women fell flat on their 

 faces ; the women were immediately dragged off the cloth, 

 and 1 do not believe there was ftrength left in any hand to 

 grafp or carry away afingle bead. My men immediately wrap- 

 ped the whole in the cloth, fo for a time our market ended. 



For my part, at the firft appearance of the combat I had 

 withdrawn myfelf, and fat a quiet fpedator ,under a tree. 



Some- 



