330 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
had often correfponded with him upon the fubject of hor- 
fes for the king while I was at Gondar. He was greatly 
tormented with the ftone, and by means of Yafine I had 
feveral times fent him foap-pills, and lime, with directions 
how to make lime-water. Itherefore fent a fervant of mine — 
with a letter to the Shekh of Beyla, mentioning my inten- 
tion of coming to Sennaar by the way of Teawa and Bey- 
la, and defiring him to forward my fervant to Sennaar, to 
Hagi Belal my correfpondent there, and, at the fame time, 
write to fome other friend of his own, to fee that the king’s. . 
fervant fhould be difpatched to Teawa without delay. This 
fervant, with the letters, I committed to.the care of the She*sh: 
of the Daveina, who promifed that he would himfelf fee 
him fafe into Beyla; and, by a particular Providence, all thefe 
letters and meflengers arrived fafe, without mifcarriage of 
one, at the places of their deftination, though we were long: 
kept in fufpence before they took. effect.. 
I was now about to quit Ras el Feel for ever, in a firne 
perfwafion that I had done every thing man could do to 
infure a fafe journey and good reception at Sennaar, till 
one day I received a vifit from Mahomet Shekh of Nile; 
which does not mean Shekh of the river, but of a tribe of. 
that name, which is but a divifion of the Daveina. To this. 
Shekh I had fhewn a particular attention in feveral trips he 
had made to Gondar, in confequence of which he was very. 
grateful and anxious for my fafety. He told me, that he faw 
I was fetting out perfectly content with the meafures I had 
taken for my fafety at Sennaar, and. he owned that they 
were the beft that human prudence could fuggeft; “but, fays. 
he, in my opinion, you have not yet been cautious enough a- 
bout Teawa, I know Fidele well, and lapprehend your danger 
18. 
