THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 573 
ferocity and. brutality of the difcourfe fhould fhock any; 
efpecially my fair readers, they will remember, that thefe 
were intended for a good and humane purpofe, to produce 
fear in thofe upon whom we had no other tie, and thereby 
extort a confeflion of the truth; which might anfwer two 
purpofes, the faving the effufion of their blood, and provi- 
ding for our own prefervation. “ You fee, faid I, placing the 
man upon his knees, your time is fhort, the {word is now 
drawn which is to make an end of you, take time, anfwer 
_ diftinétly and deliberately, for the firft trip or lie that you 
make, is the laft word that you will utter in this world. Your 
wife fhall have her fair chance likewife, and your child; you 
and all fhall go together, unlefs you tell me the naked 
truth. «Here, [fmael, ftand by him, and take my fword, it 
is, I believe, the fharpeft in the company.” 
“ Now I afk you, at your peril, Who was the good man ° 
your wife reproached you with having murdered? where 
was*it, and when, and who were your accomplices? He~ 
anfwered trembling, and indiftin@ly, through fear, “It was 
a. black, an Aga from Chendi.” “ Mahomet Towath, fays If- 
-mael; Ullah Kerim! God is merciful!” “The fame,” fays 
the Bifhareen.. He then related the particulars of his death 
in the manner-in which I fhall have occafion to ftate after- 
wards. ‘“ Where are the Bifhareen? continued I; where is 
Abou Bertran? how foon will a light camel-and meflenger 
arrive where he now is?” “In lefs than two days; perhaps, 
fays he, in a day and a half, if he is very diligent and the 
camel good.” “ Take care, faid I, you are in danger. Where 
did you and your women come from, and when ?” “ From 
Abou Bertran, fays he; we arrived. here at noon on the sth 
day, 
