THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 375 



^id them; but no particular mcfTage, except than that 

 they had been exceedingly well after their medicines, and 

 hoped I would not abandon them, but fee them again. A 

 Greek fervant of mine, who knew perfedly their culloras,- 

 had anfwered, that I certainly would wait upon them when, 

 the Shekh thould defu'C me fo to do. 



The weather was extremely hot, and people, avoiding fun- 

 fliine of the day, generally fat up the whole of the night, 

 enjoying the only hours when it was poffible to breathe free- 

 ly. It was about eleven o'clock at night, when the old Kaiya, 

 whom I never faw but upon thefe occafions, came to me 

 for coffee, of which he drank at leaft twenty difhes every 

 vilit. He appeared at firil very moderate, and, as he pre- 

 tended, a friend. But immediately afterwards, being fear- 

 ed, and affuming a new kind of air and tone of voice, he 

 reproved me roundly for my behaviour to the Shekh that 

 day," He extolled him highly for his generofity, courage, 

 and his great intereft at Sennaar from his father's merits, , 

 and from his having married Shekh Adelan's daughter. 

 He faid, it was the greateft prefumption, in a fet of infidels 

 like us, to behave in the manner we had done toFidele that 

 day. " Hagi Soli man, anfwered I, you are an old man ; if 

 years have not given you wifdom, your journey to Mecca, 

 and converfation with perfons of all nations there, fliould at 

 leall have taught you an appearance of it, which, at this time, - 

 you have not. I am here, immediately under the protec- 

 tion of the fherriile of Mecca, the chief of your religion, an4 

 Metical Aga his miniller. I have letters from the king of 

 Abyfllnia to your king of Sennaar, rcqueiling only, under 

 the faith of nations, to pafs through y^our country in my 

 way to Cairo, to rejoin Ali Bey, whofe phyfician I am, and; 



isi.\ 



