‘THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ~ 297 
Tuoucu we were all’happy ‘to our wifh in this enchant. 
ed mountain, the active {piric of Ayto Confu-could not ref; 
he was come to hunt the elephant, and hunt him he would. 
All thofe that underftood any thing of this exercife ‘had af- 
fembled from a great diftance to meet Ayto Confu at Tcher- 
kin. He and Engedan, from the moment they arrived, had 
been overlooking, from the precipice, their fervants training 
and managing their ‘horfes in the market-place below. 
Great bunches of the fineft-canes had been brought from 
Kuara for javelins; and the whole ‘houfe was employed 
in fitting heads to them in the moft advantageous manner. 
For my part, tho’ I fhould have been very well contented to 
have remained where I was, yet the preparations for {port of 
fo noble a kind roufed my fpirits, and made me defirous. to 
join in it. On the-other ‘hand, ‘the ladies all declared, that 
they thought, by leaving them, we were-devoting them to 
death or flavery, as they did not doubt, if the Shangalla 
miffed us, they would come forward to the mountain and 
flay them all. But a fuflicient garrifon was left under A- 
zage Kyrillos, and Billetana Gueta Ammonios ; and we were 
well affured that the Shangalla, being informed we were 
out, and armed, and knowing our numbers, would take care | 
to keep clofe in their thickets far cut of our way. - 
Own the 6th, an hour before day, after a hearty breakfaft, 
ave mounted on horfeback, to the number of about thirty 
belonging to Ayto:‘Confu. But there was another body, both 
of ‘horfe and foot, which made hunting the elephant their 
particular bufinefs. Thefe men dwell! conftantly in the 
woods, and know very little the ufe of bread, living en- 
tirely upon the flefh of the beafts they kill, chiefly that of 
the elephant orrhinoceros. They are exceedingly thin, 
- Von. IV. Pp? light, 
