THE SOnUCE OF THE NILE. 



79 



My meffage to them was, that if they fhewed the fmall- 

 eft appearance of further infolence, either by approaching 

 the tent, or flinging flones that night, the next morning, 

 "when the horfe I expe<fled were come up, I would burn their 

 town, and put every man of them to the fword. A very fub- 

 miflive anfwer was fent back, with a heap of Hes in excufe 

 of what they called their millake. My two fervants co- 

 ming foon after, both of whom, hereafter, were to be in the 

 fervice of Ayto Confu, went boldly one to each village, 

 to bring two goats, fome jars of bouza, and to prepare fifty 

 loaves of bread for next morning. The goats were difpatch- 

 ed inftantly, fo was the bouza ; but when the morning 

 came, the people had all fled from their houfes, without 

 preparing any bread. Thefe villages were called Gimbaar. 

 They were three in number ; each fituated upon the top 

 of a pointed hill, in a dirediion from eaft to weft, and made 

 a very beautiful appearance from the plain below. They 

 belonged to my great enemies, Guebra Mehedin, and Con- - 

 fii, late fons of Baflia Eufebius. 



On the other hand, as my fervants told me that a mef- 

 fenger of the king had pafled that morning without taking 

 any notice of us, I began to fufpedl that it was fome ftra- 

 tagem of his to frighten me from purfuing my journey ; 

 which, after the letters I had received from Sennaar, and 

 which he himfelf had heard read, he never thought I 

 would have undertaken. This I ftill believe might be the 

 cafe ; for thefe peafants did not fliew any forwardnefs to 

 do us harm ; however, it turned out as unfortunately for 

 them, as if they really purfued us for vengeance. 



As 



