THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 51s 
ended ; all my trouble, all my expences, all my time, and all 
my fufferings for fo many years were thrown away, from no 
greater obftacle than the whimfies of one barbarian, whofe 
good inclinations, I thought, I had long before fufficiently 
fecured ; and, what was worfe, was now got within lefs 
than forty miles of the place I fo much wifhed to fee; and 
my hopes were fhipwrecked ‘upon the laft, as well as the 
moft unexpected, difficulty I had to encounter. 
I was juft going to bed when.Ayto Welleta Michael, Ras 
Michael’s nephew, taken at Limjour, and a prifoner with 
Fafil, though now at large, came into the tent. I need not 
repeat the difcourfe that paffed between us, it was all con- 
dolence upon the ill-ufage I had met with. He curfed Fafil, 
called him a thoufand opprobrious names, and faid, Ras 
Michael one day would {hew me his head upon a pole: he 
hinted, that he thought Fafil expected a prefent, and ima- 
gined that I intended to pafs the king’s recommendation 
on him in the place of it. I have a prefent, faid I, and a 
very handfome one, but I never thought that, while his na- 
gareet was flill beating, and when he had fcarcely pitched 
his tent when he was tired, and I no lefs fo, that it was then 
atime to open baggage for this purpofe ; if he had waired till 
to-morrow, he fhould have had a gratification which would 
have contented him. 
Wert, well, faid Welleta Michael, as for your journey I 
_fhall undertake for that, for I heard him giving orders 
about it when I came away, even though he expects no 
prefent; what does the gratifying your curiofity coft him? 
he would be afhamed to refufe you permiffion; his own va- 
ney would hinder him. This affurance, more than all the 
ab 2 quieting 
