THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 3-59^ 



flaves of both fexes, brought lis a quantity of di flies of 

 meat from the Shekh, with many flattering comphmcnts 

 and good wifhes* The whole was difpatched very fpeedily,. 

 and fome of oUr poor companions of the caravan, v/ith the 

 faltj came and helped us very thankfully, without ceremony, 

 as is the cuilom of the country. When all was over, I was 

 aftonifhed at one young man, who came and put his mouth 

 clofe to my ear, faying thefe few Words in Arabic, " Seitati 

 Fidele ! el Shekh el Atbara Seitan !" i.e. l-idele is a devil ! 

 the Shekh of Atbara is the devil himfelf ! 



All ftrangers were now difmifTed, under pretence of oils'- 

 going immediately to repofe. V^Ie had, indeed, much need 

 of reft in our prefent fituaiion, but ftill more of council, for 

 which we immediately aiTembied by ourfelves, after having 

 fliut the door. I alked Soliman what he thought of the 

 Shekh of Atbara^ and his difcourfe. He anfwered, without 

 hefitation, " He is a traitor, has deceived Yaiine, and means 

 vou ill." The word,^rf^/ 7)7an, fo often applied to me- — the 

 abufe beftowed upon Yafme, whom in his letters he had 

 called his dear brother — the wondering that I came that 

 way, after, in his letters, and by his fervants, he had fo often 

 perfuaded us, while at Ras el Feel, that it was the beft, nay,, 

 the only road pofTible ; all this united together,feemed to leave 

 us no doubt but that we had fallen into a trap, from which, 

 our own activity and relblutions, under- the protection of 

 Providence, could alone releafe us. . 



It may be remembered that, fome time before our fetting 

 out frcun Pvas el Feel, I had difpatched a fervant with the 

 Daveina to Sennaar, whom they were to efcort as far as Bey- 

 la; and they had confxgned him into the bands of Maho- 



m&t,, 



