THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 57. 



ferocity and brutality of the difcourfe fhould fliock any, 

 elpecially my fair readers, they will remeinbcr, that thefe 

 were intended for a good and humane purpofe, to produce 

 fear in thofe upon whom we had no otiier tie, and thereby 

 extort a confeflion of the truth; which might anfwer two 

 purpofes, the faving the effufion of their blood, and provi- 

 ding for our own prefervation. " You fee, faid I, placing the 

 man upon his knees, your time is fhort, the fword is now 

 drawn which is to make an end of you, take time,^ anfwer 

 diilin(5lly and deliberately, for the firft trip or lie that you 

 make, is the laft word that you will utter in this world. Your 

 wife fliall have her fair chance likewife, and your child ; yoix 

 and all fhall go together, unlefs you tell me the naked 

 truth. Here, Ifmael, ftand by him, and take my fword it 

 is, 1 believe,. the fliarpeil in the company," 



« Now I afk you, at your peril. Who was the good man 

 your wife reproached you with having murdered ? where 

 was it, and when, and who were your accomplices ? He 

 anfwered trembling, and indiftinaily, through fear, "It was 

 a black, an Aga from Chendi." " Mahomet Towafh, fays If- 

 mael ; Ullah Kerim ! God is merciful !" " The fame," fays 

 the Bifliareen. He then related^the particulars of his death 

 in the manner in which I fhall have occafion to ftate after- 

 wards. •' Where are the Bifhareen ? continued I ; where is 

 Abou Bertran ? 1k)w foon will a light camel and meifenger 

 arrive where he now is ?" "In lefs than two days ; perhaps, 

 fays he, in a day and a half, if he is very diligent and the 

 camel good." " Take care, faid I, you are in danger. Where 

 did you and your women come from, and when ?" " From 

 Abou Bertran, fays he; we arrived here at noon on the jth 



