THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 5 
fure itis the cuftom.” “ And his fervant, too? faid I.” Cer- 
tainly, his fervant too; and if he had ten fervants that 
ate and drank in your houfe, you moft cloath them all.” 
“1 think, faid I, Ayto Aylo, a phyfician at this rate had 
much better let his patients die than recover them at his 
own expence.” “ Yagoube, fays Aylo, I fee this is not a cuf- 
tom in your country, but it is invariably one in this: it is. 
not fo among the lower fet of people; but if you will pafs 
here as aman of fome degree of confequence, you cannot 
avoid this without making Welled Amlac your enemy: the 
man is opulent; it is not for the value of the cloaths, but 
he thinks his importance among his neighbours is meafur- 
ed by the refpect {hewn him by people afar off; never fear,. 
he will make you fome kind of return, and for the cloaths 
‘I fhall pay for them.”, “By’no means, faid I, my good 
friend; I think the anecdote and cuftom is fo curious that. 
‘it is worth the price of the cloaths; and I beg that you 
would believe, that, intending to go through Maitfha, I con- 
fider it as a piece of friendfhip in you to have brought me 
under this obligation.” “ And {o it is, fays he: I knew you 
would think fo; you areacool difpaflionate man, and walk. 
by advice, and do not break through the cuftoms of the 
- €ountry, and this reconciles. even*>bad men to you every 
day, and fo much the longer fhall you be in fafety.” 
Tur reader will not doubt that I immediately fulfilled 
my obligation to Welled Amlac, who received his cloaths, 
a girdle, and a pair of fandals, in all to the amount of about 
two guineas, withthe fameindifference as if he had been buy- 
ing them forready money. He then afked for his fervant’s 
eloaths, which were ready for him. He only faid he thought 
they were too good, and hinted as if he fhould take them 
for 
