THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 263 



^he camp, from whence they never returned, and lea ing 

 die Abuna on foot, to find his way back to his houle, at 

 Kedus Raphael, from the top of which, as from a callle, iie 

 wifely poured out his excommunications, againfl an army, 

 compofed entirely of Pagans, without one Chriilian among, 

 them:. 



It is here a proper per'iod to finifh the hiftory of Abyfli^ 

 nia, as I was no further prefent at, or informed of the pub- 

 lic tranfadions which followed. My whole attention was 

 now taken up in preparations for my return through the 

 kingdom of Sennaar and the defert. Neither ihall I take up 

 the reader's time with a long narrative of leave-taking, or 

 what pafled between me and thofe illuHrious perfonages 

 with whom I had lived fo long in the moft perfed and cor- 

 dial friendlliip. Men of little, and envious minds, would 

 perhaps think I was compofmg a panegyric upon myfelf, 

 from which, therefore, I moil willingly refrain. But the fe- 

 veral marks of goodnefs, friendfliip, and efteem, which I 

 received at parting, are confined within my own breaft, 

 where they never fliall be elTaced, but continue to furnifli 

 me with the moft agreeable reflexions, fince they were the 

 fruit alone of perfonal merit, and of honeft, ileady, and up- 

 right behaviour. All who had attempted the fame journey 

 hitherto, had met with difappointment, difgracc, or death ; 

 for my part, although I underwent every fort of toil, dan- 

 ger, and all manner of hardlhip, yet thefe were not con- 

 fined to myfelf. I fufFercd always honourably, and in 

 common with the reft of the ftate ; and when fun-fliiny 

 days happened, (for fun-lliiny days there were, and very 

 brilliant ones too) of thefe I was permitted freely to partake; 

 and the moft. diftinguiilied charaders, both at court and in 



the 



