THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 301 



this inftance, they feem to have poffefled ; or, when ano- 

 ther example occurs of that kind, which they call impojjibk, 

 that they would take the truth of it upon my word, and be- 

 lieve what they are not fufficiently qualified to inveftigate. 



Consistent with the plan of this work, which is to de- 

 feribe the manners of the ieveral nations through which I 

 paffed, good and bad, as I obferved them, I cannot avoid 

 giving foir.£ account of this Polyphemus banquet, as far as 

 decency will permit me ; it is part of the hiftory of a bar- 

 barous people ; whatever L might wifh, I cannot decline it. 



In the capital, where one is fafe from furprife at all times, 

 or in the country or villages, when the rains have become fo 

 conflant that the valleys will not bear a horfe to pafs them, 

 or that men cannot venture far from home through fear 

 of being furrounded and fwept away by temporary torrents', 

 occafioned by hidden mowers on the mountains ; in a word, 

 when a man can fay he is fafe at home, and the fpear and 

 fhield is hung up in the hall, a number of people of the 

 beflfafhion in the villages, of both fexes, courtiers in the pa- 

 lace, or citizens in the town, meet together w dine between, 

 twelve and one o'clock.. 



A long table is fet in the middle of a large room, and.' 

 benches belide it for a number of guefts who are invited. 

 Tables and benches the Tortugueze introduced amongft 

 them ; but bull hides, fpread upon the ground-, ferved them 

 before, as they do in the camp and country now. A cow or 

 bull, one or more, a^ the company is numerous, is brought 

 dole to the door, and his feet ftrongly tied. The fkin that 

 hangs down under his chin and threat, which I think we 



cal-l- 



