THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 447 



Jidda to his countrymen." To which Belal replied, " The 

 king will find feme way when he thinks farther of it." 



A FEW days after this I had a melTage from the palace. 

 I found the king fitting alone, apparently much chagrined, 

 and in ill-humour. He afl^ed me, in a very peevilh man- 

 ner, " If I was not yet gone ?" To which I anfwered, " Your 

 Majefty knows that it is impolTible for me to go a ftep from 

 Sennaar without alliftance from you." He again allced me, 

 in the fame tone as before, " How I could think of coming 

 that way ?" I faid, nobody imagined in Abyffinia but that 

 he was able to give a ilranger fafe condu(5l through his own 

 dominions." He made no reply, but nodded a fign for me 

 to depart, which I immediately did, and fo finifhed this fhortr,. 

 but difagreeable interview. 



About four o'clock that fame afternoon I was again fent 

 for to the palace, when the king told me that feveral of 

 his wives were ill, and defired that I would give them my 

 advice, which I promifed to do without difficulty, as all 

 acquaintance with the fair fex had hitherto been much to 

 my advantage. I muft confefs, however, that calling thefe 

 the fair fex is not preferving a precifion in terms. I was 

 admitted into a large fquare apartment very ill lighted, in 

 which were about fifty women, all perfe^flly black, Avithouc 

 any covering but a very narrow piece of cotton rag about 

 their waifts. While I was mufing whether or not thefe all 

 might be queens, or whether there was any queen among 

 them, one of them took me by the hand and led me rudely 

 enough into another apartment. This was much better 

 lighted than the firft. Upon a large bench, or fvfa, covered 

 I with 



