442 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
ing to prince George, who had frightened their mules. I have 
already hinted that this prince was fond of horfemanthip, 
and rode with faddle, bridle, and ftirrups, like an Arab; and, 
though young, was become an excellent horfeman, fuperior 
to any in Abyflinia. The manner that two Arabs falute one 
another, when they meet, is, the perfon inferior in rank, or 
age, prefents his gun at the other, about 500 yards diftance, 
charged with powder only; he then, keeping his gun always 
prefented, gallops thefe 500 yards as faft as he can, and, be- 
ing arrived clofe, lowers the muzzle of his gun, and pours 
the explofion juft under the other’s ftirrups, or horfe’s belly. 
This they do, fometimes twenty at a time, and you would 
often think it was impoffible fomebody fhould efcape being: 
bruifed or burnt. 
Tue prince had learned this exercife from me, and was: 
very perfect at the performance of it. We had procured 
him a fhort gun, with a lock and flint inftead of a match, 
and he fhot not only juftly,. but gracefully on horfeback. He 
had been out after the deer all the morning; and hearing 
that I was arrived, and feeing the two Greeks riding on their 
mules, he came galloping furioufly with his gun prefented, 
and, not feeing me, he fired a {hot under the belly of Stra- 
tes’s mule, upon the ground, and wheeling as quick as light- 
ning to the left, regardlefs of the mifchief he had occafion- 
ed, was out of fight in a moment, before he knew the con- 
fequences. 
NEVER was compliment worfe timed or relifhed. Strates 
had two panniers upon his mule, containing two great - 
earthen jars of hydromel for the king; Sebaftos had alfo 
fome jars and pots, and three or four dozen of drinking- 
glafles, 
