tHfi SOURCE OF THE NILE. 275 



there was fome meaning in this, and that he was wifhing to 

 throw difficulties in the way, till fome accident, or fudden 

 emergency (never wanting in that country) lliould make it 

 abfolutely impoffible for mc to leave Abyffinia. When there- 

 fore the laft meflage came to Kofcam on the 27th, at night, 

 I returned my refpecStful duty to his majefty, put him in 

 mind of his promife, and, fomewhat peevillily I believe, 

 intreated him to leave me to my fortune ; that my fer- 

 vants were already gone, and I was refolved to fet out next 

 morning. 



In the morning early, I was furprifed at the arrival of a 

 young nobleman, lately made one of his bed-chamber, 

 with ilfty light horfe. As I was fatisfied that leaving Abyf- 

 finia, without parade, as privately as polTible, was the only 

 way to pafs through Sennaar, and had therefore infifted 

 upon none of my friends accompanying me, I begged to de- 

 cline this efcort ; affigning for my reafon, that, as the coun- 

 try between this and Ras el Feel belonged firft to the Iteghe, 

 and then to Ayto Confu, none of the inhabitants could pof- 

 fibly injure me in paffing. It took a long time to fettle 

 this, and it was now, as I have faid, one o'clock before wc 

 fet out by the well fide of Debra Tzai, having the moun- 

 tain on our right hand. From the top of that afcent, w€ 

 faw the plain and flat country below, blav:k,'^^and, in its ap- 

 pearance, one thick wood, which fome authors have called 

 lately, the Shumeta *, or Nubian forefl. But of the mean- 

 ing of Shumeta 1 profcfs myfelf entirely ignorant ; no 



Vol. IV. M m fuch 



* See* chart of the Arabian Gulf publifhed at London i£ 1781 by L. S.Dela Rochette. 



