i86 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



make a pretence for robbing our fellow-travellers of every 

 thing they had. 



The perfons whofe right it was to levy thefe contribu- 

 tions were two, a father and ion ; the old man was drefled 

 very decently, fpoke little, but fmoothly, and had a very 

 good carriage. He profefled a violent hatred to all Mahome- 

 tans, on account of their religion, a fentiment which feem- 

 ed to promife nothing favourable- to our friend Yafine and 

 his companions : but, in the evening, the fon, who feemed 

 to be the active man, came to our tent, and brought us a 

 quantity of bread and bouza, which his father had ordered 

 before. He feemed to be much taken with our fire-arms, 

 and was very inquifitive about them. I gave him every fort 

 of fatisfadtion, and, little by little, faw I might win his heart 

 entirely ; which I very much wifhed to do, that I might free 

 our companions from bondage. 



The young man it feems was a good foldier; and, ha- 

 ving been in feveral actions under Ras Michael, as a fufileer, 

 he brought his gun, and infilled on mooting at marks. I 

 humoured him in this ; but as I ufed'a rifle, which he did not 

 underftand, he found himfelf overmatched, efpecially by the 

 greatnefs of the range, for he fhot ltraight enough. I then 

 mewed him the manner we mot flying, there being quails 

 in abundance, and wild pigeons, of which I killed feveral. 

 on wing, which left him in the utmofl aftonimment. Ha- 

 ving got on horfeback, I next went through the exercife of 

 the Arabs, with a long fpear and a fhort javelin. This was 

 more within his comprehenfion, as he had feen fomething 

 like it ; bilt he was wonderfully taken with the fierce and 

 fiery appearance of my horfe, and, at the fame time, with 



his 



