THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 49% 
more, and fupported him with provifions wherever he went, 
. for thefe people, being accounted facred, and regarded with 
a certain religious awe, as being in the immediate fervice of 
" 1 their prophet, till now ufed to pafs inviolate wherever they 
_ ‘were going, however unfettled the times, or however flen- 
. derly attended. 
Every thing was now ready, my inftruments and bag- 
‘ gage packed up, and the 2sth of Auguft fixed when we 
fH): fhould begin our journey for Atbara. Mahomet, who pafi- 
Hits ed a great part of his time at my houfe, had not been teen 
‘ie ' by us for feveral days, which we did not think extraordi- 
iid “nary, being bufy-ourfelwes, and knowing that his trade de- 
-manded continual attendance on the great people; but we 
__ were exceedingly furprifed at hearing from my black Soli- 
-man, that he and all his equipage had fet out the night of 
the 20th for Atbara. This we found afterwards was at the 
earneft perfuafion of the king, and was at that time a hea- 
vy difappointment to us, however fortunate it turned out 
afterwards. . 
e 
‘Tue night of the 25th, which was to have been that of 
our departure, we fat late in my room up ftairs, in the back, 
or moft private part of the houfe. My little company was 
_ holding with mea melancholy council on what had fo 
{ ~ ‘recently happened, and, in general, upon the unpromifing 
face of our affairs. Our fingle lamp was burning very low, 
and fuggefted to us that it was the hour of fleep, to which, 
however, none of us were very much inclined. Georgis, 
a Greek, who, on account of the forenefs of his eyes had 
ftaid below in the dark, and had fallen afleep, came run- 
ning up ftairs in a great fright, and told us he had been 
: Qi wakened 
