A22 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
and began now to think there was no fafety but in the camp 
of the king. I will not repeat his wife expoftulations againtt 
going to the cataract. We were rather late, and I paid little 
regard to them. After coffee, 1 mounted my horfe, with 
five fervants on horfeback, all refolute, active, young fellows, 
armed with lances in the fafhion of their country. I was 
joined that moment by a fon of Mahomet, ona good horfe, 
armed with a fhort gun, and piftols at his belt, with four 
of his fervants, Mahometans, ftout men, each having his 
gun, and piftols at his girdle, and a fword hung oyer his 
ee mounted upon four good mules, fwifter and ftrong- 
er than ordinary horfes. We galloped all the way, and were 
out of fight in a fhort time. We then purfued our journey — 
with diligence, but not in a hurry; we went firft toa hilly — 
and rocky country, full of trees, moftly of unknown kinds, 
and all of the greateft beauty poffible, having flowers. of a 
hundred different colours and forms upon them, many 
of the trees were loaded with fruit, and many with both 
fruit and flowers. I was truly forry to be obliged to pafs 
them without more diftiné notice; but we had no time, as 
the diftance to the cataract was not abfolutely certain, and 
the cataract then was our only object. 
Arrer pafling the plain, we came to a brifk flream which 
rifes in Begemder, paffes Alata, and throws itfelf into the 
Nile below the cataract. They told me it was called Mariam - 
Ohha; and, a little farther, on the fide of a green hill, ha- 
ving the rock appearing in fome parts of it, ftands Alata, a 
confiderable village, with feveral fmaller, to the fouth and 
welt. Mahomet, our guide, rode immediately up. to the 
-oufe where he knew the governor, or Shum, refided, for 
ar of alarming him; but we had already been feen at a 
4 confiderable 
