his houfe all night, when he fuffered exceflive pains, and I 
nisi fay then only I was in fafety. 
Acumet feemed, by fees accident, to be one of Bb. 
gentleft {pirits of any thatit was my misfortune to converfe 
with at Sennaar. He was very little attached to, or convin- 
ced of, the truth of the Mahometan religion, and as. little 
zealous or inftructedin his own. He ufed often to qualify 
his ignorance, or difbelief, by faying, that any, or no reli- 
gion, was better than that of a Chriftian. His place of birth 
‘was in a village of Fazuclo, and it appeared to me that he 
‘was full a Pagan. He was conftantly attended by Nuban 
priefts, powerful conjurers and forcerers, if. you believed 
him. I often converfed with thefe in great freedom, when 
it happened they underftood Arabic, and from them I learn- 
ed many particulars concerning the fituation of the inland 
part of the country, efpecially that vaft ridge of mountains, 
Dyre and Tegla, which run into the heart of Africa to the 
weftward, whence they fay anciently they came, after ha- 
ving been preferved there from adeluge. I afked them 
often, (powerful as they were in charms), Why they did 
_ not cure Achmet of the gravel, or epilepfy? Their anfwer 
was, That it was a Chriftian devil, and not fubject to. their 
power. 
Acumer did not believe that I was.a Chriftian, knew I 
was no Mahometan, but thought I was like himfelf, fome- 
thing between the two, nor did lever undeceive him. I was 
‘no miflionary, nor had I any care of fouls, nor defire to en- 
ter into converfation about rehgion witha man whofe only 
office was to be the: deliberate murderer of his fovereiga. 
He {poke good Arabic, was offended at no queftion, but an- 
fwered 
