THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 377 



were Mahometans, and lived at Emfras, I could not be bet- 

 ter fituated, or more at my liberty and cafe, than there. 



After having taken my leave of the king and the Ras, 

 I paid the fame compliment to the Iteghe at Kofcam : I had 

 not for feveral days been able to wait upon her, on account 

 of the riots during the marriage, where the Ras required my 

 attendance, and would admit of no excufe. That excellent 

 princefs endeavoured much to difluade me from leaving 

 Gondar. She treated the intention of going to the fource 

 of the Nile as a fantaftical folly, unworthy of any man of 

 fenfe or undemanding, and very earaeftly advifed me to 

 flay under her protection at Kofcam, till I faw whether Ras 

 Michael and the king would return, and then take the firft 

 good opportunity of returning to my own country through 

 Tigre, the way that I came, before any evil mould overtake 

 me. 



I excusfd myfelf the belt I could. It was not eafy to do 

 it with any degree of conviction, to people utterly unlearn- 

 ed, and who knew nothing of the prejudice of ages in fa- 

 vour of the attempt I was engaged in. I therefore turned 

 the difcourfe to ,profefIions of gratitude for beneiits that I 

 had every day received from her, and for the very great ho- 

 nour that Ihe then did me, when (he condcfcended to teflify 

 her anxiety concerning the fate of a poor unknown travel- 

 ler like me, who could not pombly have any merit but 

 what arofc from her own gracious and generous fentiments, 

 and univerfal charity, that extended to every object, in pro- 

 portion as they were helplefs. " See, fee, fays fhe, how 

 every day of our life punifhes us with proofs of the per- 

 verfenefs and contradi&ion of human nature ; you are 



Vol. III. 3 B come 



