THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 513 
men wherever I may prefent myfelf. By Frank you mean one 
of the Romith religion, to which my nation is as adverfe as 
yours ; and again, without having ever feen any of my 
- countrymen but myfelf, you have difcovered, from that f{pe- 
cimen, that we are all cowards and effeminate people, like, 
or inferior to, your boys or women. Look you, Sir, you ne- 
ver heard that I gave myfelf out as more than an ordinary 
man in my own country, far lefs to be a pattern of what is 
excellent in it. Iam no foldier, though I know enough of 
war to fee yours are poor proficients in that trade. But 
there are foldiers, friends and countrymen of mine, (one 
prefents himfelf to my mind at this inftant*,) who would not 
think it an action in his life to vaunt of, that with 50c men - 
he had trampled all yon naked favages into duft. On this 
Fafil made a feigned laugh, and feemed rather to take my 
freedom. amifs. It was, doubtlefs, a paflionate and rafh 
fpeech. As to myfelf, continued I, unfkilled in war as L 
am, could it be now without further confequence, let me 
but be armed in my own country-fafhion on horfeback, as 
I was yefterday, Mhould, without thinking myfelf overmatch- 
ed, fight the two beft horfemen you fhall choofe from this 
your army of famous men, who are warriors from their 
cradle; and if, when the king arrives, you are not returned 
to your duty, and we meet again, as we did at Limjour, 
I will pledge myfelf, with his permiffion, to put you in 
mind of this promife. This did not make things better. 
He repeated the word duty after me, and would have re- 
plied, but my nofe burft out in a ftream of blood; and, that 
Vor. Ill. 3T initant, 
* Tris with pleafure I confefs the man then in ‘my mind was my brave friend Sir William 
Erkine. 
