330 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



had often correfponded with him upon the fubjed of hor- 

 fes for the king while I was at Gondar. He was greatly 

 tormented with the ftone, and by means of Yafine I had 

 fcveral times fent him foap-pills, and lime, with dire(5tions 

 how to make lime-water. I therefore fent a fervant of mine 

 with a letter to the Shekh of Beyla, mentioning my inten- 

 tion of coming to Sennaar by the way of Teawa and Bey- 

 la, and defiring him to forward my fervant to Sennaar, to 

 Hagi Belal my correfpondent there, and, at the fame time, 

 write to fome other friend of his own, to fee that the king's 

 fervant fhould be difpatched to Teawa without delay. This 

 fervant, with the letters, I committed to the care of the Shekh 

 of the Daveina, who promifed that he would himfelf fee 

 him fafe into Beyla ; and, by a particular Providence, all thefb 

 letters and meiTengers arrived fafe, without mifcarriage of 

 one, at the places of their dcllination, though we were long 

 kept in fufpence before they took efied:. 



I WAS now about to quit Ras el Feel for ever, in a firm 

 perfwafion that I had done every thing man could do to 

 infure a fafe journey and good reception at Sennaar, till 

 one day I received a vifit from Mahomet Shekh of Nile; 

 which does not mean Shekh of the river, but of a tribe of 

 that name, which is but a divifion of the Daveina. To this 

 Shekh I had fliewii a particular attention in feveral trips he 

 had made to Gondar, in confequence of which he was very 

 grateful and anxious for my fafety. He told me, that he faw 

 I was fetting out perfectly content with the meafures I had 

 taken for my fafety at Sennaar, and he owned that they 

 were the beft that human prudence could fugged; "but, fays 

 he, in my opinion, you have not yet been ca\itious enough a- 

 bout Teawa. I know Fidele well, and I apprehend your danger 



is-, 



