THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 235 
head, fo that the blood trickled down over my face. I had 
tript him up, but till then had never ftruck him. I now 
wrefted the knife from him with a full intention to kill him; 
but Providence directed better. Inftead of the point, I ftruck 
fo violently with the handle upon his face as to leave fcars, 
which would be diftinguifhed even among the deep marks 
of the {mall-pox. An adventure fo new, and fo unexpected, 
prefently overcame the effects of wine. It was too late to dif- 
turb anybody either in the palace or at the houfe of the Ras. 
A hundred opinions were immediately ftarted; fome were 
for fending us up to the king, as we were actually in the pre- 
cincts of the palace, where lifting a hand is death. Ayto 
Heikel advifed that I fhould go, late as it was, to Kofcam ; 
and Petros, that I fhould repair immediately to the houfe of 
Ayto Aylo, while the two Baalomaals were for taking me to 
fleep in the palace. Anthule, in whofe houfe I was, and who 
was therefore moft fhocked at the outrage, wifhed me to 
ftay in his houfe, where I was, from'a fuppofition that I was 
ferioufly wounded, which all of them, feeing the blood fall 
over my eyes, feemed to think was the cafe, and he, in the 
morning, at the king’s rifing, was to ftate the matter as it 
happened. All thefe advices appeared good when they were 
propofed ; for my part, I thought they only tended to make 
bad worfe, and bore the appearance of guilt, of which I was 
not confcious. f 
I now determined to go home, and to bed in my own 
houfe. With that intention, I wafhed my face and wound 
with vinegar, and found the blood to be already ftaunched. 
I then wrapt myfelf up in my cloak, and returned home 
without accident, and went to bed. But this would neither 
fatisfy Ayto Heikel nor Petros, who went to the houfe of 
Gigi2 Ayto 
