THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 441 



Here I left Kafmati Netcho, and was making my way 

 towards the king's tent, when I was met by a fervant of 

 confidence of Kefla Yafous, who had that day commanded 

 the rear in the retreat, a very experienced officer, brave 

 even to a fault, but full of mildnefs and humanity, and the 

 moft fenfible and affable man in the army. He fent to de- 

 fire that I would come to him alone, or that I would fend 

 one of the Greeks that followed me. I promifed to do fo, 

 after having anfwered moll of the queftions that he bade 

 his fervant afk of me. After this I fearched for Strates and 

 Sebaftos, who had been fick upon the road. 



I soon came up with them, and was more furprifed than 

 I had been for feveral days, to fee them both lie extended 

 on the ground ; Strates bleeding at a large wound in his 

 forehead, fpeaking Greek to himfelf, and crying out his leg 

 was broken, whilft he prefled it with both his hands below 

 the knee, feemingly regardlefs of the gafh in his head, 

 which appeared to me a very ugly one, fo that I, of courfe, 

 thought his leg was ltill worfe. Sebaftos was lying ftretch- 

 ed along the ground, fcarcely faying, any thing, but fighing 

 loudly. Upon my afking him whether his arm was broken I 

 he anfwered feebly, that he was a dying man, and that his 

 legs, his arms, and his ribs were broken to pieces. I could 

 not for my life conceive how this calamity had happened 

 fo fuddenly, for I had not been half an hour abfent talking 

 to Kefla Yafous's fervant ; and, what feemed to me flill 

 ftranger, every body around them were burfting out into fits 

 of laughter. 



Ali Mahomet's fervant, who was the only perfon that I 



faw concerned, upon my afking, told me that it was all ow= 



Vol. IIL 3 K. in § 



