THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 133 
‘Waite this converfation was going on, an extraordinary 
buftle was obferved in the crowd, and this unquiet genius 
pufhing through it with great violence, his goat’s {kin upon 
his fhoulders, and covered with duft and {weat, in the fame 
manner he came from the field; he had: heard I was gone 
_ tothe king’s tent with the red flag, and not doubting I was 
tocomplain of him, or praife myfelf at his expence, had di- 
rectly followed me, without giving himfelf timetomake the - 
leaft inquiry. He threw himfelf fuddenly, with his face to 
the ground, before the throne, and rifing as quickly, and‘in 
violent agitation, he faid:to the king, or rather bellowed; 
very indecently, “It is a lie Yagoube is telling; he does not 
fay the truth; I meant him no harm but good to-day, and 
he did not underftand my language. I don’t fay Yagoube is 
not as good a man as any of us, but it. is.a lie he has been. 
telling now, and I will prove it.’” 
~ A.cENERAL filence followed this wild rhapfody; the king - 
was furprifed, and very gravely faid, I am forry, for your 
fake, if itis a lie; for my part, I was rafh enough to believe 
it was true. Guebra: Mafcal: was ftill going to make bad 
worfe, by fome abfurd reply, when the fecretary, and one or 
two of his friends, hauled him out behind the throne to 
one of the apartments within, not without fome refiftance, 
_ every one fuppofing, and many faying, he was drunk; the 
king was filent, but appeared exceedingly difpleafed, wheh 
I-fell upon the ground before him, (a form of afking leave 
to fpeak upon any particular fubject)-and rifing faid, Sir, 
With great fubmiffion, it is not, I apprehend, true, that Gue- 
bra Mafcal is drunk, as fome have rafhly faid now in.your ~ 
_ prefence; we have all ate and drank, and changed our 
cloathing fince the battle; but this man, who has been on 
4., foot: 
