THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 4X3 
Tux drum beat a little after fix o’clock in the evening. 
We then had a very comfortable dinner fent us, camels — 
fiefh ftewed with an herb of a vifcous flimy fubftance, called 
Bammia. After having dined, and finifhed the journal of 
the day, I fell to unpacking my inftruments, the barometer 
and thermometer firft, and, after having hung them up, 
was converfing with Adelan’s fervant when I fhould pay my 
vifit to-his mafter. About eight o’clock came a fervant from 
the palace, telling.me now was the time to bring the pre- 
fent to the king. I forted the feparate articles with all the 
{peed I could, and we went directly to the palace. The 
king was then fitting in a large apartment, as far as I could 
guefs, at fome diftance from the former. He was na- 
ked, but had feveral clothes lying upon his knee, and about 
him, anda fervant was rubbing him over with very ftinking 
butter or greafe, with which his hair was dropping as if 
wet with water. Large as the room was, it could be fmell- 
ed through the whole of it. The king afked me, If ever I 
greafed myfelf as he did? I faid, Very feldom, but fancied 
it would be very , expentive. He then told me, That it was 
elephants greafe, which made people ftrong, and preferved 
the {kin very fmooth. I faid, I thought it very proper, but 
‘could not bear the {mell of it, though my fkin fhould turn 
as rough as an elephant’s forthe want of it. He faid, “If 
I had ufed it, my hair would not have turned fo red as it 
was, and that it would all become white prefently when 
that rednefs came off. You may fee the Arabs driven in 
here by the Daveina, and all their cattle taken from them, 
becaufe they have no longer any greafe for their hair. The 
fun firft turns it red and then hengecly white; and you'll 
know them in the flreet by their hair being the colour 
12 of 
