THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 175 



gun before you came from home to-day to follow us. Why*. 

 if you was to (hoot, you would be left alone in our hands, 

 as all your fellows on the other fide would run at the noife 

 even of your own gun. 



" Friends, faid I, you underftand one another's grie- 

 vances better than I do. My only bufinefs here is to get to 

 Lamalmon as foon as poffible. Now, pray, Shum, tell me 

 what is your bufinefs with me ? and why have you follow- 

 ed me beyond your government, which is bounded by that 

 r i ver ?" — He faid, " That I had ftolen away privately, without 

 paying cuftom." — " I am no merchant, replied I ; I am the 

 king's gueft, and pay no cuftom ; but as far as a piece of 

 red Surat cotton cloth will content you, I will give it you, 

 and we iliall part friends."— He then anfwered, " That two 

 ounces of gold were what my dues had been rated at, and 

 would either have that, or he would follow me to Debra 

 Toon." — " Bind him and carry him to Debra Toon, fays 

 the Sire fervant, or I mall go and bring the Shum of De- 

 bra Toon to do it. By the head of Michael, Shum, it mall 

 not be long before I take you out of your bed for this." 



I now gave orders to my people to load the mules. At 

 hearing this, the Shum made a fignal for his company to 

 crofs ; but Yafine, who was oppofite to them, again ordered 

 them to flop. " Shum, faid I, you intend to follow us, 

 apparently with a defign to do us fome harm. Now we 

 are going to Debra Toon, and you are going thither. If 

 you chuie to go wuh us, you may in all honour and fafe- 

 ty ; but your fervants mall not be allowed to join you, nor 

 you join them ; and if they but attempt to do us harm, we 

 will for certain revenge ourfelves on you. There is a piece 



v, iii. y °£ 



