THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 429 



Strates proceeded — " We were croffing the plain below 

 Dara, and not being inclined to go into the town without 

 you, we made to a large daroo-tree, and fat down to reft 

 ourfelves till you fhould come up. As the ground was 

 fomewhat elevated, we faw feveral horfes in the bed of a 

 torrent where there was no water running, and, when thefe 

 were pulled up the bank, their mailers got immediately 

 upon them. I conceived the one with the red fafh upon 

 his head was Guebra Mehedin, and prefendy eight or ten 

 naked people, armed with lances and fhields, came out of 

 the hole neareft me. I was furprifed, and thought they 

 might be robbers, and, kneeling down upon one knee, I 

 preiented the large blunderbufs at them. On this they all 

 ran back to their hole, and fell flat on their faces ; and they 

 did well ; I fhould have given them a confounded pepper- 

 ing." — " Certainly, faid I, there is little doubt of that." — 

 " You may laugh, continued Strates, but the firft thing I 

 faw near me was Confu and Guebra Mehedin, the one with 

 a red, the other a kind of white fillet tied round his fore- 

 head. O ho ! friend, fays Guebra Mehedin, where are you 

 going ? and held out his hand to me as kindly, familiarly, 

 and chearfully as poflible. I immediately laid down my 

 blunderbufs, and went to kifs his hand. You know they 

 are the good old queen's nephews ; and I thought if their 

 houfe was near we fhould have good entertainment, and 

 fome merriment that night. I then {-aw one of their 

 fervants lift the blunderbufs from the ground, but ap- 

 parently with fear, and the reft took poilemon of the 

 mules and baggage. I began to afk Guebra Mehedin what 

 this meant ? and faid accidentally, ente you ! initead of f peak- 

 ing it entow, as you know they pronounce it to great people. 

 Without further provocation he gave me a lafh with his 



wt . 



