THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 46s 



his houfe all night, when he fufFcred exceffive pains, and I 

 may fay then only I was in fafety. 



AcHMET feemed, by ftrange accident, to be one of the 

 gentled fpirits of any that it was my misfortune to convcrfe 

 •with at Sennaar. He was very little attached to, or convin- 

 ced of, the truth of the Mahometan religion, and as little 

 zealous or in{lru6ted in his own. He ufed often to qualify 

 his ignorance, or diibelief, by faying, that any, or no reli- 

 gion, was better than that of a Chriftian, His place of birth 

 was in a village of Fazuclo, and it appeared to me that he 

 was flill a Pagan. He was conftantly attended by Nuban 

 priefts, powerful conjurers and forcerers, if you believed 

 him. I often converfed with thefe in great freedom, when 

 it happened they underftood Arabic, and from them I learn- 

 ed many particulars concerning the fituation of the inland 

 part of the country, efpecially that vail ridge of mountains, 

 Dyre and Tegla, which run into the heart of Africa to the 

 wcRward, whence they fay anciently they cajne, after ha- 

 ving been preferved there from a deluge. I a&ed them 

 often, (powerful as they were in charms). Why they did 

 not cure Achmet of the gravel, or epilepfy ? Their anfwer 

 was. That it was a Chriilian devil, and not fubjecl to their 

 power. 



Ac H MET did not believe that I was a Chriflian, knew I 

 was no Mahometan, but tliought I was like himfelf, fome- 

 thing between the two, nor did I ever undeceive him. I was 

 no miffionary, nor had I any care of fouls, nor defire to en- 

 ter into converfation about religion with a man whofe only 

 office was to be tlie deliberate murderer of his fovcreign. 

 He fpokc good Arabic, was ofiended at no quellion, hut an- 



fwercd 



