48 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



are perfectly well-informed as to the great kindnefs he did 

 all along flicw me, but this was entirely from his goodnefs, 

 and no merit of mine. I never did eat or drink with him ; it 

 was an honour I could not have been capable of afpiring 

 to. Cuftom has eftabliflied the contrary; and for me, I 

 faw no pleafure or temptation to tranfgrefs this cultom, 

 though it had been in my option, as it was not. I have, for 

 the moft part, feen him eat and drink; an honour I enjoyed 

 in common with his confidential fervants, as being an offi- 

 cer of his houfehold. The gold you mention, which I have 

 feveral times got from the late King and Ras el Feel, I con- 

 ilantly fpent for his fervice, and for my own honour. But 

 at prefent I am neither governor of Ras el Feel, nor have I 

 any port under heaven, nor do I defire it. Yafme, I fup- 

 pofe, holds his from t^yto Confu his fuperior, who holds it 

 from the king by order of Ras Michael, but of this I know 

 nothing. As for tricks on horfeback, I know not what you 

 mean. I have for many years been in conflant practice of 

 horfemanfhip among the Arabs. Mine, too, is a country 

 of horfemen ; and I profefs to have attained to a degree not 

 common, the management both of the lance and of fire- 

 arms; but I am no buffoon, to fliew tricks. The profeiiion 

 of arms is my birth-right derived frorii my anceilors, and 

 with thefe, at his defire, I have often diverted the king, as 

 an amufcmcnt worthy of him, and by no means below me." 

 — " The king ! fays he in a violent paffion, and who then 

 am I ? a Have ! Do you know, with a llamp of my foot I can 

 order you to be hev/n to pieces in an inilant. You are a 

 Frank, a dog, a liar, and a flave ! Why did you tell the 

 Iteghe that your houfe was robbed of 50 ounces of gold ? 

 Any other king but myfelf would order your eyes to be 



4 pulled 



