THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 273 
there was fome meaning in this, and that he was withing to 
throw difficulties in the way, till.fome accident, or fudden 
emergency (never wanting in that country) fhould make it 
abfolutely impoflible for meto leave Abyflinia. When there- 
fore the laft meflage came to Kofcam on the 27th, at night, 
T returned my refpectful duty to his majefty, put him in 
mind of his promife, and, fomewhat peevifhly I believe, 
imtreated him to leave me to my fortune; that my fer- 
vants were already gone, and I was refolved to fet out next 
morning. | 
In the morning early, I was furprifed at the arrival of a 
young nobleman, lately made one of his bed-chamber, 
with fifty light horfe.. As I was fatisfied that leaving Abyf- 
finia, without parade, as privately as poflible, was the only 
way to pafs through Sennaar, and had therefore infifted 
upon none of my friends accompanying me,I begged to de- 
cline this efcort ; afligning for my reafon, that, as the coun- 
try between this and Ras el Feel belonged firft to the Iteghé,. 
and then to Ayto Confu, none of the inhabitants could pot. 
fibly injure me in pafling, It took a long time to fettle 
this, and it was now, as I have faid, one o’clock before we 
fet oft by the weft fide of Debra Tzai, having the moun- 
tain on our right hand. From the top of that afcent, we 
faw the plain and flat country below, black, and, in its ap- 
pearance, one thick wood, which fome authors have called 
lately, the Shumeta *, or Nubian foreft. But of the mean- 
ing of Shumeta I profefs myfelf entirely ignorant; no 
Vou. IV. Mm - sa fuehy ° 
ti 
™* See a-chart of the Arabian Gulf publifhed at London in 1781 by L, S, Dela Rochette. 
