THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 265 



him ; but there is no fuch ceremony in ufe, and exhibi- 

 tions of this kind, made b) the king in public, at no period 

 feem to have fuitcd the genius of this people. Formerly his 

 face was never feen, nor any part of him, excepting fome- 

 times his foot. He fits in a kind of balcony, with lattice- 

 windows and curtains before him. Even yet he covers his 

 face on audiences or public occafions, and when in judg- 

 ment. On cafes of treafon, he fits within his balcony, and 

 fpeaks through a hole in the fide of it, to an officer called 

 Kal-Hatze, the "voice or word of the king," by whom he 

 fends his queflions, or any thing elfe that occurs, to the 

 judges who are feated at the council-table. 



The king goes to church regularly, his guards taking 

 pofTeffion of every avenue and door through which he is to 

 pafs, and nobody is allowed to enter with him, becaufe he 

 is then on foot, excepting two officers of his bed-chamber 

 who fupport him. He kifTes the threfhold and fide- polls 

 of the church- door, the Heps before the altar, and then re- 

 turns home : fometimes there is fervice in the church, 

 fometimes there is not ; but he takes no notice of the dif- 

 ference. He rides up flairs into the prefence-chamber on 

 a mule, and lights immediately on the carpet before his 

 throne ; and I have fometimes feen great indecencies com- 

 mitted by the faid mule in the prefence-chamber, up m a 

 Perfian carpet, 



An officer called Scrach Maflery, with a long whip, be- 

 gins cracking and making a noife, worfe than twenty 

 French poflillions, at the door of the palace before the dawn 

 of day. This chafes away the hyaena and other wild beads; 

 this, too, is the fignal for the king's rifing, who fits in judg- 



Vol. III. L 1 ment 



