THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 497 



Though we were all happy to our wifli in this enchant- 

 ed mountain, the adlive fpirit of Ay to Confu could not reft; 

 he was come to hunt the elephant, and hunt him he would. 

 All thofe that underftood any thing of this exercife had af- 

 fembled from a great diftance to meet Ayto Confu at Tcher- 

 kin. He and Engedan,from the moment they arrived, had 

 been overlooking, from the precipice, their fervants training 

 and managing their horfcs in the market-place below. 

 Great bunches of the fineft canes had been brought from 

 Kuara for javelins; and the whole houfe was employed 

 in fitting heads to them in the moft advantageous manner. 

 For my part, tho' I fhould have been very well contented to 

 have remained where I was, yet the preparations for fport of 

 fo noble a kind roufed my fpirits, and made me defirous to 

 join in it. On the other hand, the ladies all declared, that 

 they thought, by leaving them, we were devoting them to 

 death or flavery, as they did not doubt, if the Shangalla 

 miffed us, they would come forv/ard to the mountain and 

 flay them all. But a fufficient garrifon was left under A- 

 zage Kyrillos, and Billetana Gueta Ammonios ; and we were 

 well affured tliat the Shangalla, being informed we were 

 out, and armed, and knowing our numbers, would take care 

 to keep clofe in their thickets far out of our way. 



On the 6th, an hour before day, after a heart)' breakfaft, 

 we mounted on horfeback, to the number of about thirty 

 belonging to Ayto Confu. But there was another body, both 

 of horfe and foot, which made hunting the elephant their 

 particular bufmefs. Thefe men dwell conftantly in the 

 v/oods, and know very little the ufe of bread, living en- 

 tirely upon the flefli of the beafts they kill, chitefly that of 

 the elephant or rhinoceros. They are exceedingly thin. 



Vox. IV. Pp light, 



