THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 593 



other great fit of laughter. " Child, anfwercd I, you 

 know the Shekh is not our friend, and there is no eafier 

 way to get rid of us than by poifon, as we eat everything 

 that comes from you without fear." — " And fo you may, 

 fays fhe ; the Shekh could do no fuch thing without 

 our knowledge,^ and we would rather all be burnt alive 

 than be guilty of fo vile an aftion. Bclides, fays fhe, this 

 is not like Habefli, where both meat and drink, brought to 

 you, are tailed by the bearer before you ufe them. There is 

 no fuch thing as poifon in Atbara ; the lance and the knife 

 in the field, that is the manner in which they kill one an- 

 -other here," 



We then fhew^d her our dinner uneaten, and fhe again 

 fell into a violent fit of laughter, and took the meat away 

 that fhe might warm it, and we heard her laughing all the 

 wr\y as flie went by herfelf. She was not long in returning 

 with provificns in plenty, and told us, that her miftrefTes 

 never were fo diverted in their lives, and that (he left them 

 llill laughing. The black flave then called me to the door, 

 and gave me an India green handkerchief, which flie faid 

 Aifcach had pulled from her head, and fent with her to me, 

 with orders to inquire, " Do the women of your country do 

 fuch things, Yagoube, which, for all the fathers and gold 

 in the world, Aifcach would not be guilty of? My father 

 is indeed a Funge *, but my mother is a Jehaina|." 



Neither the Shekh nor Moullah expelled me out on 



Sunday, which I told them was my feflival. I employed 



Vol. IV. 3 D that 



* Which means a flave. -j- A noble and free Arab. 



