362 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 
paring the camels. He anfwered, the camels were fifteen 
days journey off, in the fandy defert, for fear of the flies; 
but that the want of them fhould not. detain us, if he had 
leave from Sennaar, for which he was to write that night. 
He added, that they always were exceedingly tedious at Sen- 
naar, and both the town and road were, at prefent, in a. 
very unfettled ftate. Itold him, I was furyrifed at this, as 
Hagi Belal had written to Yafine and myfelf alfo, in a letter 
(then in my cuftody) that orders were gone both to him 
and the Shekh of Beyla, to receive me kindly, and forward 
me fafely and f{peedily to Sennaar : that he himfelf had con- 
feffed this to Yafine in a letter written to him from Feawa, 
defiring that I would come fpeedily, as he had every thing 
ready, which letter I myfelf had read.. Fidele feemed in 
the utmoft furprife at this. He lifted up his hands and 
eyes, as if I had been telling the greateft of lies. He faid, 
“ he never wrote a letter about me to Yafine in his life ; or,, 
at leaft, not this year; that it was all a forgery of Yafine, 
knowing that I had a quantity of gold with me, to get 
me out into the defert, to rob and murder me there; that I 
might fee he never could receive fuch orders, or elfe it 
would have been as much as his life was worth, not to 
have prepared to difpatch me immediately ; but fo far from 
that, fays he, feek all over the town, and if you find one 
camel, or any other number, I will make you a prefent of 
them all, for this is entirely a forgery of Yafine.” 
Sorrman could bear this no longer. He told Fidefe, 
“ That it was he who was a forger and a liar, not Yafine. 
Will you perfuade me that I do not know of your letter to 
Yafine? Have not your fervants Ibrahim and Nafler lived 
with us at Ras el Feel for weeks together as bearers of thefe 
letters, 
