THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 2 3s 



head, fo that the blood trickled down over my face. I had 

 tript him up, but till then had never flruck him. I now 

 wrefted the knife from him with a full intention to kill him; 

 but Providence directed better. Inftead of the point, I {truck 

 fo violently with the handle upon his face as to leave fears, 

 which would be diftinguifhed even among the deep marks 

 of the fmall-pox. An adventure fo new, and fo unexpected, 

 prefently overcame the effects of wine. It was too late to dif- 

 turb anybody either in the palace or at the houfe of the Ras. 

 A hundred opinions were immediately ftartcd ; fome were 

 for fending us up to the king, as we were actually in the pre- 

 cincts of the palace, where lifting a hand is death. Ayto 

 Heikel advifed that I mould go, late as it was, to Kofcam ; 

 and Petros, that I fliould repair immediately to the houfe of 

 Ayto Aylo, while the two Baalomaals were for taking me to 

 fleep in the palace. Anthule, in whofe houfe I was, and who 

 was therefore moll fho eked at the outrage, wifhed me to 

 {lay in his houfe, where I was, from a fuppofition that I was 

 ferioufly wounded, which all of them, feeing the blood fall 

 over my eyes, feemed to think was the cafe, and he, in the 

 morning, at the king's riling, was to Hate the matter as it 

 happened. All thefe advices appeared good when they were 

 propofed ; for my part, I thought they only tended to make 

 bad worfe, and bore the appearance of guilt, of which I was 

 not confeious. 



I now determined to go home, and to bed in my own 

 houfe. With that intention, I warned my face and wound 

 with vinegar, and found the blood to be already {launched. 

 I then wrapt myfelf up in my cloak, and returned home 

 without accident, and went to bed. But this would neither 

 fatisfy Ayto Heikel nor Petros, who went to the houfe of 



G g 2 Ayto 



