THE SOURCE OF THENILE. 453 



flave does what he pleafes, faid he. If I mention this 

 to Adelan, he will order the drunkard's head to be llriick ofF 

 before the palace-gate. But it is better for you that nothing 

 of this kind happen while you are here. Mahomet Abou 

 Kalec is daily expeded, and all thefe things will be put up- 

 on another footing. In the mean time, keep at home as 

 much as poffible, and never go out without two or three 

 black people along with you, fervants, or others. While 

 you are in my brother's houfe, as you now are, and we alive, 

 there is no body dares moleft you, and you are perfedly at 

 liberty to refufc or admit any perfon you pleafe, whether 

 they come from the king or not, by only faying, Adelan 

 forbids you. I will anfwer for the reft. The lefs you 

 come here the better, and never venture into the llrect at 

 night." 



At this inftant a meflage from the king called him in.. 



I went away, better fatisfied than before, becaufe I now 



had learned there was a place in that town where I could 



remain in fafety, and I was refolved there to await the 



arrival of Abou Kalec, to whom I looked up as to the 



means Providence was to ufe to free me from the defigns 



the king was apparently meditating againft me. I was 



more confirmed in the belief of thefe bad intentions, by a 



convcrfation he had with Hagi Belal, to whom he faid, 



That he was very credibly informed I had along with 



me above 2000 ounces of gold, befides a quantity of 



fdver, and rich embroideries from India, from which 



laft place, and not from Cairo, I was come as a merchant, 



■ and not a phyfician. I refolved, therefore, to keep clofe at 



home, and to put into feme form the obfervations that 



L had'. 



