j6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



through craggy mountains, where they may be all killed 

 by rolling flones upon them, without their even feeing 

 their enemiy. Strange, ftrange, faid I, (fpeaking to my- 

 felf) that any party fliould be fo audacious as to take pofl 

 in the king's front, at fix miles diftance, and put themfelves 

 between him and the capital : I am fure they heartily de- 

 ferve to be cut in pieces, and fo they certainly will. Where 

 is Ayto Confu ? It was anfwered by Yafme, That he was 

 gone forward to the mouth of the pafs to reconnoitre it, 

 and would meet us there. We marched on accordingly, 

 acrofs the plain, about half a mile ; but I was furprifed to 

 fee all my attendants, that I had picked up by the way, 

 laughing, excepting Yafme's men, and that none of the 

 reft made horfe, mule, or gun ready as if they were in dan- 

 ger ; fo that I began now ftrongly to fufpedl fome trick 

 on the part of Confu, as he was much given to jeft and 

 fport, being a very young man. 



A LITTLE before we came to the mouth of the pafs, a 

 foldier came to us and aflced who we were ? and was 

 anfwered, it was Yafme, Ayto Confu's fervant at Ras el Feel. 

 To which it v/as replied, he knew no fuch perfon. He 

 was fcarcely gone when another arrived with the fame que- 

 ftion. I began to be impatient, as the fun was then growing 

 very hot ; and anfwered, It was Yagoube, the white man, 

 the king's friend and fervant. I was again anfwered. No 

 fuch perfon could pafs there. The third time, being inter- 

 rogated by one whom I knew to be Ayto Confu's fervant, 

 Yafme anfwered, it is Yagoube, the king's governor of Ras 

 el Feel, with the flave Yafme, the moor, come to do the kin-g 

 horriage, and to die for him, if he commands, in the midfl 

 of his enemies. We were anfwered, He is welcome : upon 

 ^ which 



