THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 357 
a chair*, underftood to be the place of the grand fignior, 
The Shekh himfelf was fitting on the ground for humility’s 
fake, reading the Koran, or pretending to read it. At our 
entry he feemed to be furprifed, and made an attempt as 
if torife up, which immediately I prevented him from doin 2g, 
holding him down: by the hand, which | kifled. 
I sHatxt not fatigue the reader- with the uninterefting 
converfation that paffed at this firft interview. He affect 
ed to admire my fize and apparent ftrength, introduced. 
fome loofe hints about Abyflinian women; and, in ge- 
neral, pretended to blame me for expofing myfelf to tras 
vel in fuch a country.. In return, I complained of:the ex- 
treme fatigue of the journey: and: heat, the beafts of prey, 
the thick: woods without fhade, the want of water, and, 
above all, the poifonous blafts of the fimoom that had al+ 
moft overcome. me, the effects of which I was at that in=- 
‘ftant feeling.. 
He then blamed. himéfelf very politely, in a manner nas 
tural to the Arabs, for having fuffered me to come to him 
before I had repofed myfelf, which he excufed by: his défire 
of feeing. fo great a man-as me. He faid alfo, that he 
would. detain me no longer; bid me repofe a day or two 
in quiet and-in fafety ; and, upon my rifing to go away, he 
got up likewife, and holding me by the hand, faid, “ The 
greateft 
ce EE EE EE GE Te Re ed Wn OA 
“Tt is the cuftom, in all places where-the governor is invelted with fupreme power, to: 
have an arm-chair left empty in the middle of the hall where juftice is adminiftered, which, 
reprefents the fovereign, and to which obeifance-is made. 
