THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 135 



Very much vexed, I mounted my horfe to return to the 

 boat. The road lay through a very narrow valley, the 

 fides of which were covered with bare loofe Hones. I had 

 no fooner got down to the bottom, than I heard a greal deal 

 of loud fpeaking on both fides of the valley ; and, in an in- 

 flant, a number of large Hones were rolled down upon 

 me, which, though I heard in motion, I could not fee, on 

 account of the darknefs ; this increafed my terror. 



Finding, by the impatience of the horfe, that feveral of 

 thefe flones had come near him, and that it probably was 

 the noife of his feet which guided thofe that threw them, I 

 difmounted, and ordered the Moor to get on horfeback ; 

 which he did, and in a moment galloped out of danger. 

 This, if I had been wife, I certainly might have done before 

 him, but my mind was occupied by the paintings. Never- 

 thelefs, I was refolved upon revenge before leaving thefe 

 banditti, and liftened till I heard voices, on the right fide of 

 the hill. I accordingly levelled my gun as near as poiTible^ 

 by the ear, and fired one barrel among them. A moment's 

 filence enfued, and then a loud howl, which feemed to have 

 come from thirty or forty perfons, I took my fervant's 

 blunderbufs, and difcharged it where I heard the howl, 

 and a violent confufion of tongues followed, but no more 

 ftones. As I found this was the time to efcape, I kept along 

 the dark fide of the hill, as expeditioufly as poflible, till I 

 came to the mouth of the plain, when we reloaded our 

 firelocks, expecting fome interruption before we reached 

 the boat ; and then we made the beft of our way to the 

 river. 



We 



