THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 567 



other, crippled abfolurely in the feet by the flones, and 

 the river fo full of pits and holes, that, had they been all 

 laden on the other fide and ready, no one could have been 

 bold enough to lead a beaft through without a guide : the 

 difficulty was not imaginary, I had myfelf an inftant before 

 made proof of it, and all difficulties are relative, greater 

 or lefs, as you have means in your hands to overcome 

 them. I was clearly fatisfied that Woldo knew the country 3 

 and was provided with a remedy for all this ; I conceived 

 that this pacific behaviour, while they were unloading the 

 mules, and driving them acrofs the river, as well as his 

 fury afterwards, was part of fome fcheme, with which I 

 was refolved in no fhape to interfere ; and nothing convin- 

 ced me more of this than his refolute demand of a gun, 

 when no perfuafion could make him flay within ten yards 

 of one if it was discharged, even though the muzzle was 

 pointed a contrary direction. I fat ftill, therefore, to fee 

 the end, and it was with fome furprife that I obferved him 

 to take his pipe, flick, and my fervants along with him, and 

 crofs the river to me as if nothing had happened, leaving 

 the baggage on the other fide, without any guard whatfo- 

 ever ; he then defired us all to get on horfeback, and drive 

 the mules before us, which we did accordingly ; and I fup- 

 pofe we had not advanced about a hundred yards before wc 

 faw a greater number of people than formerly run down 

 to where our baggage was lying, and, while one crofled the 

 river to defire us to Hay where we were, the reft brought tire 

 whole over in an inftant. 



This, however, did not fatisfy our guide; he put on a ful- 

 kv air, as if he had been grievoufly injured ; lie kept the 

 mules, where they were, and would not fend one back to be 



loaded 



