THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 495 



A nephew of Abba Salama*, the Acab Saat, a young man 

 of no common genius, afked leave from his uncle before he 

 began the tranflation ; to which Salama anfwered, alluding 

 to an old law, That, if he attempted fuch a thing, he mould 

 be killed as they do fheep ; but, if I would give him the mo- 

 ney, he would permit it. I ihould not have taken any no- 

 tice of this ; but fome of the young men having told it to 

 Ras Michael f , who perfectly gueffed the matter, he called 

 upon the fcribe, and alked what his uncle had faid to him, 

 who told, him very plainly, that, if he began the tranflation, 

 his throat Ihould be cut like that of a fheep. One day Mi- 

 chael aiked Abba Salama, whether that was true ; he anfwer- 

 ed in the affirmative, and feemed difpofed to be talkative. 

 " Then," faid the Ras to the young man, " your uncle de- 

 " clares, if you write the book for Yagoube, he fhall cut 

 " your throat like a fheep ; and I fay to you, I fwear by St 

 " Michael, I will put you to death like an afs if you don't 

 " write it ; confider with yourfelf which of the rifks you'll 

 " run, and come to me in eight days, and make your choice." 

 But, before the eighth day, he brought me the book, very 

 well pleafed at having an excufe for receiving the price of the 

 copy. Abba Salama complained of this at another time when 

 I was prefent, and the name of frank was invidioufly men- 

 tioned ; but he only got a flern look and word from the Ras : 

 " Hold your tongue, Sir, you don't know what you fay ; you 

 " don't know that you are a fool, Sir, but I do; if you talk 

 " much you will publifh it to all the world." 



After 1 



* I ftall have occafion to fpeak much of this pried irrthe fecjuel. He v/as a moft inveterate 

 and dangerous enemy to all Europeans, the principal eccltfiaftical officer in the king's lioufe*, 



-f-Then Prime Minister, concerning whom much is to be faid hereafter, 



