THE SOURCE OFT HE NILE. 343: 



people?" Mahomet anfwered, " that he was fo weak and 

 lick, that he could not ftancL'' But Yafme did not flight the 

 rebuke, he flopped himfelf naked, went forward on the 

 veflel, and then threw himfelf into -the fea. He, firfl, very 

 judicioufly, felt what room there was for (landing, and 

 found the bank was of confiderable breadth, and that we 

 were fluck upon the point of it ; that it rounded,-, flan ting 

 away afterwards, and Teemed very deep at the fides, fo the 

 people, flanding on the right of it, could not reach the vef- 

 fel to pufh • it, only thofe upon the point. The Rais and 

 Yafme now cried for- poles and handfpikes, which were 

 given them ; two more men let themfelves down by the fide, , 

 and flood upon the bank» I then defired the Rais to get> 

 out a line, come a-flern with the boat, and draw her in the 

 farne direction, that they puihed. . 



As foon as the boat could be towed a-flern, a gr„eat cry 

 was fet up, that fhe began to move. A little after, a gentle 

 wind juft made itfelf felt from the e aft, and the cry from* 

 the Rais was,Hoifl the fore-fail and put it a- back. This being 

 immediately done, and a gentle breeze filling the fore-fail 

 at the time, they all pufhed, and the veflel Aid gently off,. 

 free from the ffioal. : I cannot fay I partook of the' joy fo-. 

 fuddenly as the others did. I had always fome fears a plank 

 might have been ftarted ; but we faw the advantage of a 

 veflel being fewed, rather than nailed together, as fhe not 

 only was unhurt, but made very little water. The people-: 

 were ail exceedingly tired, and nobody thought they could 

 enough praife the courage and readinefs of Yafme. From, 

 that day he grew into consideration with me, which increa- 

 sed, ever after, till my departure from Abyfiinia..- 



