208 . TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
Ali Bey from Cairo. All the Greeks here who have confi- - 
derable pofts, and are proud and vain enough, have yet de- 
clared to us feveral times, (as Antonio my fervant did to 
me laft night) that, in their owa country, the beft of them 
are not higher in rank than your fervants; and that thofe 
who hitherto have come into this country were no better. 
We know then, and the king is fenfible, that in your own 
country you are equal to the beft of us, and perhaps fu-~ 
perior, and as fuch, even in thefe bad times, you have been 
treated. Now, this being the cafe, you are wrong to ex- 
pofe yourfelf like a common foldier. We all know, and 
have feen, that you area better horfeman, and {hoot better 
than we; your gun carries farther, becaufe you ufe leaden _ 
bullets; fo far is well; but then you fhould manage this } 
fo as never to act alone, or from any thing that can have 
the appearance of a private motive *.” “ Sir, faid I, you 
know that when I fir came recommended, as you fay, 
into this country, Ayto Aylo, the moft peaceable, as well 
as the wifeft man in it, the Ras, and I believe yourtelf, 
but certainly many able and confiderable men who were 
fo good as to patronize me, did then advife the putting me 
into the king’s fervice and houfehold, as the only means 
of keeping me from robbery and infult. You faid that I 
could not be fafe one inftant after the king left Gondar, ~ 
being a fingle man, who was fuppofed to have brought | 
money with him; that therefore I muft conneé& myfelf 
with young noblemen, officers of confequence about court, 
whofe authority and friendfhip would keep ill-difpofed 
people in awe. The king obferving in mea facility of 
managing 
* He meant, from the inftigation of Ozoro Efther. 
