THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. H3 



flride upon her belly before her hind-legs, and gave her a 

 very deep wound in the upper part of her buttock. 



From the time I had feen them throw the beafl upon the 

 ground, I had rejoiced, thinking, that when three people 

 were killing a cow, they mult have agreed to fell part of 

 her to us ; and I was much difappointed upon hearing the 

 Abyflinians fay, that we were to pafs the river to the other 

 fide, and not encamp where I intended. Upon my propofing 

 they mould bargain for part of the cow, my men anfwered 

 what they had already learned in converfation, that they 

 were not then to kill her, that fhe was not wholly theirs, and 

 they could not fell her. This awakened my curiofity; I let my 

 people go forward, and ftaid myfelf, till I faw, with the uc- 

 mofl aftonifhment, two pieces, thicker, and longer than our 

 ordinary beef fteaks, cut out of the higher part of the buttock 

 of the beaft\ How it was done I cannot pofitively fay, becaufe 

 judging the cow was to be killed from the moment I faw the 

 knife drawn, I was not anxious to view that cataftrophe, 

 which was by no means an object of curiofity; whatever 

 way it was done, it furely was adroitly, and the two pieces 

 were fpread upon the outfide of one of their fhields. 



One of them ftill continued holding the head, while the 

 other two were bufied in curing the wound. This too was done 

 not in an ordinary manner; the fkin which had covered the 

 flefh that was taken away was left entire, and napped over 

 the wound, and was faftened to the correfponding part by 

 two or more fmall fkewers, or pins. Whether they had put 

 any thing under the fkin between that and the woundedflefli 

 I know not, but at the river fide where they were, they had 

 prepared a cataplaim of clay, with which they covered the 



wauncl ; 



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