2 o6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



the long time the patient is under it, if people feed them 

 and treat them according to their own ignorant prejudices, 

 my feeing him, or advifing him, is in vain. This morning 

 you faid a man had cured him by writing upon a tin plate ; 

 and to try. if he was well, they crammed him with raw beef. 

 I do not think the letters that he fwallowed will do him 

 any harm, neither will they do him any good ; but I fhall 

 not be furprifed if the raw beef kills him, and his daughter 

 Welleta Selafle, too, before I fee him to-morrow. 



On the morrow Petros was really taken ill, and feverifh, 

 from a cold and fatigue, and fright. Aylo and 1 went to 

 Kofcam, and, for a frefli amufement to him, I fhewed him 

 the manner in which the Arabs ufe their firelocks on horfe- 

 back ; but with this advantage of a double-barrelled gun, 

 which he had never before feen. I fliot alfo feveral birds 

 from the horfe ; all which things he would have pronoun- 

 ced impomble if they had been only told him. He arrived 

 at Kofcam full of wonder, and ready to believe 1 was ca- 

 pable of doing every thing I undertook. 



We were juft entering into the palace-door, when we faw 

 a large proceffion of monks, with the priefts of Kofcam at 

 their head, a large crofs and a picture carried with them, 

 the lafl in a very dirty, gilt frame. Aylo turned afide when 

 he faw thefe ; and, going into the chamberlain's apartment, 

 called Ayto Heikel, afterwards a great friend and compa- 

 nion of mine. He informed us, that three great faints from 

 Waldubba, one of whom had neither ate nor drank for 

 twenty, years of his life, had promifed to come and cure 

 Welled Hawaryat, by laying a picture of the Virgin Mary 

 and the crofs upon him, and therefore they would not wifh 



3 me 



