55o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



met, Shekh of Beyla, who was to forward him to Sennaar ; 

 and this he certainly would have done immediately without 

 delay, but for a misfortime that happened, and entirely dif- 

 concerted the plan. The Daveina, on their way to Beyla, 

 had heard that an encampment of Arabs, (who ufually, 

 at this time, occupy the banks of the Nile) had come eall- 

 ward towards Atbara. Whether the Daveina intended to 

 attack thefe Arabs, or were afraid the Arabs intended to 

 fall upon them, I know not ; but they returned weftward 

 to the left, inftead of coming to Beyla ; they fent my fer- 

 vant forward, after fome lofs of time, and Mahomet, Shekh 

 of Beyla, had forwarded him to Sennaar. Here, too, he was 

 detained by Shekh Adelan, the firft minifter, who happened 

 then not to be at Sennaar, but levying taxes upon the Arabs. 

 This we did not know at that time ; fo every moment we 

 expedled his arrival. We were difappointed, likewife, in not 

 finding a fervant of the Shekh of Beyla waiting for us, who 

 was to inform us of the fituation of the country about Bey- 

 la. This we more wondered at, becaufe, being ill of the 

 gravel, he had expreficd himfelf very anxious, in his letter to 

 Yafme, to have fome lime-water, which his fervant was to 

 get from, me at Teawa. We did not then know, as v«re foon 

 afterwards did, that this fervant had been waiting for us at 

 Teawa, and that Shekh Fidele had informed him that I was 

 no longer coming by Atbara, but that Coque Abou Barea had 

 fent me, under the care of fome Ganjar horfe, ftraight down 

 the Dcnder from Kuara ; fo that the Shekh of Beyla did not 

 expe(5t to fee me. 



All this being imknown to us, we were in conflant ex- 



pedlation of icrvants from Sennaar, and the meiTage from the 



Shekh of Beyla. But, as we all agreed we were in danger, 



4 we 



