THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 453 
flave does what he pleafes, faid he. If I mention this 
to Adelan, he will order the drunkard’s head to be ftruck off 
before the palace-gate. Butit is better for you that nothing 
of this kind happen while you are here. Mahomet Abou 
Kalec is daily expected, and all thefe things will be put up- 
on another footing. In the mean time, keep at home as 
much as poffible, and never go out without two or three 
black people along with you, fervants, or others. While 
you are in my brother’s houfe, as you now are, and we alive, 
there is no body dares moleft you, and you are perfectly at 
liberty to refufe or admit any perfon you pleafe, whether 
they come from the king or not, by only faying, Adelan 
forbids you. I will anfwer for the reft. The lefs you 
come here the better, and never venture into the ftreet at” 
night.” 
Art this inflant a meflage from the king called him in. 
I went away, better fatisfied than before, becaufe I now 
had learned there was a place in that town where I could 
remain in fafety, and I was refolved there to await the 
arrival of Abou Kalec, to whom I looked up as tothe 
means Providence was to ufe to free me from the defigns. 
the king was apparently meditating againft me. I was 
more confirmed in the belief of thefe bad intentions, by a 
converfation he had with Hagi Belal, to whom he faid,. 
That he was very credibly informed I had along with 
me above 2000 ounces of gold, befides a quantity of 
filver, and rich embroideries from India, from which 
laft place, and not from Cairo, I was come as a merchant,. 
and not a phyfician. Irefolved, therefore,to keep clofe at 
home, and to put into fome. form the obfervations that 
I:had: 
