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THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 1.13 



My letters informed me that the whole kingdom of 

 Sennaar was in arms, that Naffer (wl\o had dcpofed his fa- 

 ther by the help of two great brothers, Mahomet Abou Ca- 

 lec, and Adelan) was upon the point of trufling his life and 

 kingdom to the event of a battle with thefc two oflicers. 

 I was, moreover, conjured, with all the carnellnefs, as I 

 thought, of a truly honeft man, that I would by no means 

 undertake the journey I intended ; that to come from Ra& 

 el Feel to Sennaar, was, for a white man like me, next to 

 an abfolute impoflibiHty, conneding the danger of the way 

 with the great hardlhips from the exceffive heat of the cli- 

 mate, and want of food and water; that even arrived at 

 Sennaar, I lliould be in the utmoft danger from the foldiery^ 

 and the king's flaves, under no fubordination or govern- 

 ment ; and that, even if I was happy enough to efcape 

 thcfe, the worft ftill remained, and no human power could 

 convoy or protetSt me, in my remaining journey to Egypt 

 through the great defert. I was therefore begged to lay 

 all fuch intention afide as impoffible, and either ftay where 

 I was, or return by Tigre, Mafuah, and Arabia, the way by 

 which I firft entered AbyfTmia. This was the fevereft of 

 all blows to me, and threw me for fome time into the low- 

 eft delpondency, but it did not change my refolution, which 

 was already taken, not to turn to the right or the left, but 

 either compleat my journey to Syene, the frontier of 

 Egypt, by Sennaar, and Nubia, or periih in the attempt. 



I NOW refolved to proceed immediately to the camp, ta- 

 king twenty horfe from Sanuda, and twenty from Coiitu, 

 to efcort the coats of mail and horfes from Sennaar. I fee 

 out that evening with Mahomet the king's fervant, by the 

 load of Sema Confu, and arrived about nine o'clock in the 



campv, 



