82 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



them grunting by two's and three's fo near me as to be a-* 

 fraid they would take Ibme opportunity of feizing me by the 

 leg ; a piflol would have frightened them, and made them 

 fpeedily run, and I conllantly carried two loaded at my gir- 

 dle, but the difcharging a piftol in the night would have a- 

 larmed every one that heard it in the town, and it was not 

 now the time to add any thing to people's fears. I at laft 

 fcarce ever went our, and nothing occupied my thoughts 

 but how to efcape from this bloody country by way of 

 Scnnaar, and how I could bed exert my power and influ- 

 ence over Yafme at Ras el Feel to pave my way, by afliiling 

 me to pafs the defert into Atbara. 



The king miffing me fome days at the palace, and hear- 

 ing I had not been at Ras Michael's, began to inquire who 

 had been with me. Aytb Confu foon found Yafine, \vho 

 informed him of the whole matter; upon this I was fent 

 for to the palace, where I found the king, without any bo- 

 dy but menial fervants. He immediately remarked that I 

 looked very ill ; which, indeed, T felt to be the cafe, as I had 

 fcarcely at€ or flept fince I faw him la(l,_^ or even for fome 

 days before. He aflccd me, in a condoling tone, What ail- 

 ed me ? that, befides looking fick, I feemed as if fomething; 

 had ruffled me, and put me out of humour. I told him 

 that what he obfcrvcd was true : that, coming acrofs the 

 market-place, I had feen Za Mariam, the Ras's doorkeeper, 

 with three mien bound, one of whom he fell a-hacking to 

 pieces in my prefence. Upon feeing me running acrofs the 

 place, flopping my nofe, he called me to ftay till he Ihould 

 come and difpatch the other two, for he wanted to fpeak to 

 me, as if he had been engaged about ordinary bufinefs : that 

 the foldiers, iji conUdcration of his haflc, immediately fell 



upon 



