THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 575 



Strates had refufed to go to the firft cataract, having fo 

 violent an appetite that he could not abandon the cow ; 

 and, after my arrival, it was his turn to watch that night. 

 When I was lain down to reft in a little hovel like a hog's 

 fly, near where they were fitting, I heard a warm difpute 

 among the fervants, and, upon inquiry, found Strates was 

 preparing fteaks on a gridiron to make an entertainment 

 for himfelf while the reft were fieeping ; thefc, on the 

 other hand, were refolved to play him a trick to punifh 

 his gluttony. When the fteaks were fpread upon the 

 gridiron, Woldo had undertaken to pour fome fine duft, or 

 fand, through the hole in the roof, which ferved as a chim- 

 ney ; and this he had done with fuccefs as often as Strates 

 went to any diftance from the fire. Not content, however, 

 with the pofition in which he then was, but defirous to do 

 it more effectually, he attempted to change his place upon 

 the roof where he flood, thinking it all equally ftrong to 

 bear him ; but in this he was miftaken ; the part he was 

 removing to fuddenly gave way, and down he came upon 

 tlie floor, bringing half the roof and pare of the wall, 

 together with a, prodigious duft, into the fire. 



The furprife and fight of his own danger made Woldo 

 repeat fome ejaculation to himfelf in Galla. My fervants, 

 who were waiting the fuccefs of the fcheme, cried, The 

 Galla! the Galla ! and Strates, who thought the whole ar- 

 my of wild Galla had furrounded the houfe, fell upon his 

 face, calling Maruni ! Maruni ! — Spare me ! fpare me ! — I 

 was in a profound fieep when roufed by the noife of the 

 roof, the falling of the man, and the cry of Galla ! Galla ! I 

 flatted up, and laid hold of a mufket loaded with flugs, a 

 bayonet at the end of it, and ran to the door, when the firft 



thing 



