THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 3^^ 



is there, and not at Sennaar," He then drew a moft unfa- 

 vourable pidlure of that Shekh, whom he affirmed to have 

 been a murderer and a thief all his days, and the fon of a 

 father no better than himfelf ; tlrat he was of no religion, 

 neither Mahometan, Chriftian, nor Pagan, but abfolutely 

 without fear of God ; he faid, however, he believed him to 

 be a great coward ; and therefore the whole of my fafety re- 

 duced itfelf to this. Was he really afraid of Yaline, or not ? 

 If he was, that became the bell handle we could lay hold 

 on ; but if, on the contrary, he was not afraid of Yafine, or 

 was perfuaded, as he very well might be by wicked people 

 about him, that, when once I was out of the country, Ya- 

 line took no further charge of me, he doubted very much 

 I fliould never pals Teawa, or, at lead, without fuiTering 

 fome heavy affront or ill-ufage, the extent of which it was 

 iinpoffible to determine. 



These fenfible fuggellions made a very ftrong impreffion 

 on Yafine and me ; Yallne's firft podtion was, that Fidele was 

 certainly afraid to difoblige him; but, allowing the poffi- 

 bility he was not, he owned he had not fubftituted any fe- 

 cond meafure to which I could truft. We all regretted that 

 our friends the Daveina had been fuffered to depart without 

 taking me with them by Sim-Sim and Beyla ; but it was now 

 too late, as the Daveina had for fome days arrived at the 

 ftation the neareft Beyla and the fartheil from us. It was 

 then agreed, that Nile fhould fend a relation of his, who was 

 married to one of the tribes of Jehaina Arabs, encamped upon 

 Jibbel IfrifF near to Teawa, with whom Fidele was at that 

 time making peace, left they Ihould burn the crop about 

 the town. This man wa« not to enter the town of Teawa 

 with me, but was to come there the next day, as if from, his 



T t 2 friends 



