400 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Shekh, and went away, wliifpering, two and two together. 

 The king's fervant joined his companion, who told me to be 

 ready, and fear nothing, for he would fee me to-morrow 

 night at Beyla. 



About half an hour after my return home I was again 

 called to the Shekh, who had only the Moullah and the old 

 Kaiya fitting by him, with two fliort letters in his hand 

 from Yafme, full of reproaches for his behaviour to me, and 

 declaring with moft folemn oaths, that if thofe letters found 

 me at Teawa, or if I was not gone from thence in peace, be 

 v*rould, before a fortnight was elapl'ed, be down as an enemy 

 upon Teawa ; and unlefs the Daveina did engage to burn 

 every ftalk of corn between that and Beyla as foon as it 

 was in the ear, he would fliirt Ab) iTmia againft them, and 

 that they lliould neither eat bread nor drink water in it as 

 long as he was alive and governor of Ras el Feci. Thefe 

 letters mentioned a complaint likewife that had been fent 

 to SI;.vjkh Adelan at Sennaar, but by wliom they did not fay, 

 probably from Ay to Confu, complaining of Fidele's ufage to 

 me. Yafuie's men, that brought the letters from Ras el 

 Feel to Teawa, were faid to be three in number, mounted on 

 camels, or dromedaries, and armed with coats of mail and 

 head-pieces. They refiifed to come into Teawa, to eat of 

 Shekh Fidele's bread *, or driuk of his water, looking upon 

 him as a declared enemy of Yaiine, their mailer. Fidele 

 with fome difficulty at lafl allovi/ed black Soliman to go to 

 meet them, to perfuade them to enter the town ; but all to 

 J no 



* This refufal among the Arabi is a declaratiun of the moft deadly cniuit^-o 



