THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



249 



to them for refuge, if they did not protect us at the rilk of 

 their lives, their families, and their fortunes, or, as they 

 emphatically expreiTed it, to the death of the laft male child 

 among them. 



Medicines and advice being given on my part, faith 

 and protection pledged on theirs, two bufliels of wheat 

 and feven fheep were carried down to the boat, nor could 

 we decline their kindnefs, as refufmg a prefent in that coun- 

 try (however it is underftood in ours,) is juft as great an af- 

 front, as coming into the prefence of a fuperior without a 

 prefent at all, 



I told them, however, that I was going up among Turks 

 who were obliged to maintain me, the confequence there- 

 fore will be, to fave- their own, that they will take your 

 flieep, and make my dinner of them ; you and I are Arabs, 

 and know what-2V& are. They all muttered curfes between 

 their teeth at the name of Turk, and we agreed they mould 

 keep the fheep till I came back, provided they mould be 

 then at liberty to add as many more. 



This was all underftood between us, and we parted 

 perfectly content with one another. But our Rais was very 

 far from being fatisfied, having heard fomething of the 

 feven fheep"; and as we were to be next day at Syene, where 

 he knew we were to get meat enough, he reckoned that 

 they would have been his property. To ftine all caufe of 

 difcontent, however, I told him he was to take no notice of 

 my vifit to Shekh Ammer, and that I would make him a- 

 mends when I returned, 



CHAR 



