THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 213 



Though it is not the place, I rauft not forget to tell the 

 reader, that, the third day after I had come to Kofcam, a 

 horfeman and a letter had arrived from Michael to Hagi 

 Saleh, ordering him to carry me to Kofcam, and likewife a 

 fliort letter written to me by Negade Ras Mahomet, in Arabic, 

 as from Ras Michael, very civil, but containing pofitive or- 

 ders and command, as if to a fervant, that I mould repair to 

 the Iteghe's palace, and not ftir from thence till future or- 

 ders, upon any pretence whatever.. 



I cannot fay but this pofitive, peremptory dealing, did ? 

 very much fhock and difpleafe me. I fhewed the letter to 

 Petros, who approved of it much ; faid he was glad to fee 

 it in that ftile, as it was a fign the Ras was in earneft. I 

 fhewed it to Ay to Aylo, who faid not much to it either the one 

 way or the other, only he was glad that I had gone to Kof- 

 cam before it came ; but he taxed Ozoro Either with being 

 the caufe of a proceeding which might have been proper to 

 a Greek or flave, but was not fo to a free man like me, who 

 came recommended to their protection, and had, as yet, re- 

 ceived no favour, or even civility. Ozoro Efther laughed 

 heartily at all this,, for the firft time flic had fhewn any in- 

 clination to mirth ; fhe confeffed me had fent a meffengcr 

 every day, fometimes two, and fometimes three, ever fmce 

 Welled Hawaryat had died, and by every one of them flie 

 had preffed the Ras to enjoin me not to leave Kofcam, the 

 confequence of which was the order above mentioned ; 

 and, in the evening, there was a letter to Petros from An- 

 thule, Janni's fon-in-law, a Greek, and treafurer to the 

 king, pretty much to the fame purpofe as the firft, and in 

 no fofter terms, with direction, however, to furnifh me 

 with every thing I fhould want, on the king's account. 



QiNJE 



