THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. aoj 



there was a good Periian carper, as pride and newly-ac- 

 quired independence had relealed him from thofe forms, 

 in the obiervance of which he had been brought up from 

 his childhood. 



On feeing him attentive, I continued, " The king fends 

 you word by me, and I declare to you from my own Ikiil as 

 a phyfician, that the fever now amongil you will foon be- 

 come mortal ; as the rains increafe, you will die ; confe- 

 quently, being out of your allegiance, God only knows 

 what will happen to you afterwards. The king thercrore 

 wifhes you to preferve your health, by going home to Am- 

 hara, taking Powuflen, and all the reft along with you who 

 are ill likevvife, and the fooner the better, as he heartily 

 wifhes to be rid of you all at once, without your leaving any 

 of your friends behind you." It was with diiEculty I kept 

 my gravity in the courfe of my harangue ; it did not feem 

 to be lefs fo on his part, as at the end he broke out in a 

 great fit of laughter. " Aye, Aye^ Yagoube, fays he, I fee 

 you are ftill the old man ; but tell the king from me, that if 

 I were to do what you juft now defireof me, it was then I • 

 Ihould be afraid to die, it was then I Ihould be out of my 

 duty ; alTure the king, continued GuHio, I will do him bet- 

 ter fervice. Were I to go home and leave Michael with him, 

 I, who am no ph^'Tician, declare, the Ras would prove in the 

 end a much more dangerous difeafe to him than all the fe^ 

 vers in Dembea." 



I THEN introduced his relation, Tecla Mariam, who flood ' 

 with the people beliind ; and, as he had on his monk's drefs, 

 Guflio at firft did not know him. He had been well inform- 

 ed, liowever, of his having faved the king, and of the blow 

 that he liad received from him. He faid every thing in, 

 a commendation ^ 



