THE SOURCE.OF THE NILE. 383 
joined, anda very confufed, defultory difcourfe foilowed, 
till the Turk, fherriffe If{mael, happened to obferve the 
Shekh’s fcabbard of his fword thrown upon the floor, on 
which he fell into a violent fit of laughter. He fpoke very 
bad Arabic, mixed with Turkith, as I have often obferved.. 
He endeavoured to make the Shekh underfland, that drunk- 
ards and cowards had more need of the fcabbard than the 
fword ; that he, Fidele, and the other drunkard that came 
to our houfe two or three nights before, who faid he was 
Shekh of the Jehaina, were jut pofleffed of the fame por- 
tion of courage and infolence. 
As no good could be expected from this expoftulation, F 
ftopt it, and took my leave, defiring the Shekh to go to bed: 
and compofe himfelf, and not try any more of thefe expe- 
riments, which would certainly end in his fhame, if not 
in his punifhment. He made no anfwer, only wifhed us. 
good night. 
CHAP- 
