THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 397 
rived.’—* True, fays Fidele, then it is impoffible.” ‘ Your 
meflengers and mine, faid I, Shekh, are not of the fame 
fort, nor fhall I afk your leave when I am to fend to 
Ras el Feel or Sennaar, nor fhall you ever cut off the 
head from any one of them. But why are you alarmed at 
thefe affes being taken? Should you not’ be afraid of fome- 
thing fimilar happening at Mecca?) Am’ not I under the 
protection of the fherriffe? When Metical Aga hears this, 
will he not refent it? Will Youfef Kabil, the Chriftian, the 
fherriffe’s vizir at Jidda, through whofe hands your people 
pafs, will he be gentler to them upon this account ?”—“ A 
curfe upon him! fays the fherriffe ; he gentle! he is a fhark.” 
* Meloun Ibn Sheitan, fays the Turk Ifmael, 7 ¢. accurfed 
wretch, child of the devil !’—“ Well then, faid I, the diffi: 
eulty is-only to know if he is informed of this at Mecca. 
Friday the 17th is your feftival.. If the afternoon of that 
fhall pafs like thofe of common days, I am a worthlefs 
man and an impoftor; but if on that day, before’ el’affer*, 
afign be feen in the heavens that fhall be thought by all of 
you unufual and-extraordinary, then am [ an innocent man,,. 
and Fidele’s defigns againft me are known to the world, at 
Sennaar: and:at Mecca, at Cairo and at. Gondar, and every- 
where elfe, and will not.be pleafing either to God or man.’”’ 
¥arif. el. Hakim}, fays the fherriffe;. Hakim {! fays the: 
Shekh of the Jehaina; Ullah: Akbar ||! fays the Moullah;, 
lifting his eyés up to heaven, and. counting his: beads very; 
devoutly.. 
TRE: 
* Elaffer is four: o’clock.. + The. Hakim, or wife man krows.. 
t He is indeed wife.. J, God is great. 
