THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 405 



and faw it was begun. There was to be a total eclipfe 

 of the moon. I did not tell them at firft, till it had advanced 

 fome way, and was apparent upon the dillc. " Now ! look at 

 thar, faid I ; in feme time after this the moon fhall be fo total- 

 ly fwallowed up in darknefs, that a fmall light fliall only be 

 fcen in the edges." They were frightened at the denuncia- 

 tion, ratlier than at any thing they obferved, till a little be- 

 fore the eclipfe became total. A violent apprehenfion then 

 fell upon them all ; and the women from their apartments 

 began to howl as they do on all melancholy occafions of 

 misfortune, or death. They were in the inner fquare. 

 " Now, continued I, I have kept my word ; it will foon be 

 clear again, and will do no harm to man or beaft." 



It was agreed among them that I fhould not go home 

 till it was totally at an end. I confented to this ; and only 

 faid to the Shekh, that I wifhed he would let me fee my pa- 

 tients before I went away, for that one of them was really 

 ill, and needed advice. He feemed to take it very kindly, 

 and defired me to go' in. I was met in the anti- chamber by 

 Aifcach, and two or three black flaves, who cried out in 

 great terror, " O! Hakim ! what is this ! what are you going 

 to do!" " I am going to do, Madam, faid I, one of the mofl 

 difagreeable things I ever did in my life ; I am going to 

 take leave of you." I was immediately furrounded with 

 a number of women, fome of them crying, fome of them 

 with children in their arms. I went into the room where 

 the two ladies were, whom I quieted and fatisfied to the 

 utmoft of my power. We parted with reciprocal profcffions 

 of friendfliip and regret at feparation. I then begged that 

 I might fee their flave, who ufed to bring us meat, with a 

 clean cloth, to wrap up fomething I had for them. They 

 A teld 



