THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 501 



letter to his mafter, unknown to any oilier perfon what- 

 ever, to let him know my apprehenfions of the king, and 

 that, in the uncertainty how far his occupations might o- 

 blige him to move from Shaddl) , my way was diredly for 

 Herbagi, and requefting that he would give me fuch re- 

 commendations to Wed Ageeb as fhould put me in fafety 

 from the king's perfecution, and infure me protciflion and 

 good reception in Atbara. I begged him, in the mod feri- 

 ous manner, to confider, however llightly he had thought 

 of the king of Abyffinia's recommendatory letters, he would 

 not treat thofe of the regency- of Cairo, and of /"he Iherriffe 

 of Mecca, in the fame manner ; that my nation was highly 

 refpe('iled in both places ; and that it was knov/n, by letters 

 written from Sennaar, that 1 adually was arrived there; 

 that they ftiould take care therefore, and not by ilLufage of 

 me expofe their merchants, eitlier at Mecca or Cairo, to a 

 fevere retaliation that would immediately follow the re- 

 ceiving bad news of me, or no news at all. My faithful 

 Soliman, who was now to leave me, was charged to carry 

 the anfwers they fhould choofe to return to the letters I 

 tirought from Abyffinia, and I fent him that very night, to- 

 gether with the Fakir, to Adelanat Shadclly, fully inftracfted 

 with every particular of ill-ufage I had received from the 

 King, of which he had been an eye-witnefs. 



Although my fervants, as well as Hagi Belal, and every 

 ©ne atSennaar but the Fakir and Soliman, did imagine I 

 was going to ShatMly, yet their own fears, or rather good 

 feafe, had convinced them that it was better to proceed at 

 once for Atbara than ever again to be entangled between 

 Adelan and the king. Sennaar fat heavy upon all their 

 %irits, fo that I had fcarce difmounted from my cameJj., 



and* 



