594 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and defired to fpeak with me alone, taking Aylo's fervant 

 along with him, " Now, faid I, very calmly, I know by your 

 face you are going to tell me a lie. I do fwear to you fo* 

 lemnly, you never, by that means, will obtain any thing 

 from me, no not fo much as a good word ; truth and good 

 behaviour will get you every thing ; what appears a. great 

 matter in your fight is not perhaps of fuch value in mine ; 

 but nothing except truth and good behaviour will anfwer to 

 you ; now I know for a certainty you are no more fick than 

 I am." — " Sir, faid he, with a very confident look, you ars 

 right ; I did counterfeit ; I neither have been, nor am I at 

 prefent any way out of order; but I thought it befl to tell 

 you fo, not to be obliged to difcover another reafon that has- 

 much more weight with me why I cannot go to Geefh, and 

 much lefs mew myfeif at the fources of the Nile, which I 

 confefs are not much beyond it, though I declare to you 



there is ftill a hill between you and thofe fources." " And 



pray, faid I calmly, what is this mighty reafon ? have you 

 had a dream, or a vifioii in that trance you fell into when- 

 you lagged behind below the. church of St Michael SacalaP 

 " No, fays he, it is neither trance, nor dream, nor devil ei- 

 ther ; I wifh it was no worfe ; but you know as well as I, 

 that my mailer Faiil defeated: the Agows at the battle of 

 Banja. I was there with my mailer, and killed feveral men;, 

 among whom fome were of the Agows of this village Geefh, 

 and you know the ufage of this country, when a man, iw 

 thefe circumftances, fails into their hands, his. blood mud", 

 pay for their blood. 



I burst out into a violent fit of laughter which very much 

 difconcerted him. " There, faid I, did not I fay to you it was 

 a. lie that you was going to tell me? do not think I diibe- 



lievc 



