THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 451 
‘fife I never felt fo difagreeably. I have been in more than 
one battle, but furely I would joyfully have taken my 
chance again inany of them to have been freed from that 
examination. I could not help likewife reflecting, that, if 
the king had come in during this exhibition, the confe- 
quence would either have been impaling, or ftripping off 
that fkin whofe colour they were fo curious about; tho’ 
I.can folemnly declare there was not an idea in my bieait 
fince ever I had the honour of feeing thefe royal beauties, 
that could have given his majefty of Sennaar the fmalleft 
reafon for jealoufy; and I believethe fame may be faid of the 
fentiments of theladies in what regarded me. Ours was a mu- 
tual pafflion, but dangerous to no one concerned. I returned 
home with very different fenfations from thofe I had felt 
after an interview with the beautiful Aifcach of Teawa. 
Indeed, it was impoffible to be more chagrined at, or more 
difgufted with, my prefent fituation than I was, and the 
more fo, that my delivery from it appeared to be very dif- 
tant, and the circumftances were more and more unfavour- 
-able every day. 
An event happened which added to my diftrefs. Going 
one evening to wait upon the king, and being already with- 
in the palace, pafling through a. number of rooms that are 
now totally deferted, where the court of guard ufed to be 
kept, I met Mahomet, the king’s fervant, who accompanied 
us from Teawa. Such people, though in reality often 
enough drunk, yet if they happen to be fober at the time of 
their committing a.crime, counterfeit drunkennefs, in order 
to avail themfelves of it. as an excufe. This fellow, feeing me 
alone, came flaggering up to me, faying, “ Damn you, Ya- 
goube, I have met you now, pay me for the trouble of go- 
gla ing 
