2IO TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



a leaden bullet was found in Woodage Afahel's body fired at 

 him by you." — " Sir,faid I, it is very feldom a man in fuch 

 a cafe as this can have the power of vindicating himfelf to 

 convi(5tion, but that I now happily can do. All the Greeks 

 in the king's army, their fons and families, all Mahometans, 

 who have been in Arabia, India, or Egypt, ufe leaden bul- 

 lets. The man who lliot Woodage Alahel is well known 

 to you. He is the king's old cook, Sebaftos, a man paft fe- 

 venty, who could not be able to kill a fheep till fomebody 

 firft tied its legs. He himfelf informed the king of what 

 he had done, and brought witneffes in the ufual form, 

 claiming a reward for his action, which he obtained. It 

 was faid that I, too, killed the man who carried the red 

 flag of Theodorus at Scrbraxos, though no leaden bullet, I 

 believe, was found in him. A foldier picked up this flag 

 upon the field, and brought it to me. I paid him, indeed, 

 for his pains ; and, when I prefented the flag to the kino-, 

 told him what 1 had feen, that the bearer of it had fallen 

 by a fliot from Guebra Mafcal. I had not a gun in my 

 hand all that day at Serbraxos, nor all that other day when 

 Woodage Afahel was flain. I faw him pafs within lefs 

 than ten yards where I was Handing behind the king, in 

 great health and fpirits, with two other attendants ; but, 

 fo far from firing at him, 1 was very anxious in my own 

 mind that he fhould get as fafely out of the camp as he had 

 gallantly, though imprudently, forced himfelf into it. It is 

 not a cullom known in my country for oflicers to be em- 

 ployed to pick out diilinguiflied men at fuch advantage, nor 

 would it be confidered there as much better than murder: 

 certainly no honour would accrue from it. But when means 

 are neceflfary to keep officers of the enemy at a proper dif- 



tance, 



