THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 529 
nothing: the Iteghé will deliver them to you. The only 
other thing I have done to them was, I got them baptifed : 
I do not know if that will difpleafe them; I did it as an 
additional protection to them, and to give them a title to 
the charity of the people of Gondar.” “ As for that, fays he, 
they don’t care the leaft about baptifm ; it will neither do 
them good nor harm; they don’t trouble themfelves about 
thefe matters ; give them meat and drink, and you will be 
very welcome to baptife them all from morning to night; 
after fuch good care thefe Galla are all your brethren, 
they will die for you before they fee you hurt.” He then faid 
fomething to them in Galla again, and they all gave anos 
ther affent, and made a fhew of kifling my hand. 
‘Tuer fat down; and, I mutt own, if they entertained any 
good-will to me, it was not difcernible in their counte- 
~ nances. “ Befides this, continued Fafil, you was very kind and 
courteous to my fervants while at Gondar, and faid many 
_ favourable things of me before the king; you fent me a pre- 
fent alfo, and above all, when Joas my matfter’s body was 
dug up from the church-yard of St Raphael, and all Gon- 
dar were afraid to fhew it the leaft refpe&, dreading the 
vengeance of Ras Michael, you, a ftranger, who had never. 
feen him, nor received benefit from him, at your own ex- 
pence paid that attention to his remains which would have 
better become many at Gondar, and me in particular, had 
I been within reach, or had intelligence of the matter: now, 
before all thefe men, afk me any thing you have at heart, 
and, be it what it may, they know I cannot deny it you.” He 
delivered this in a tone and gracefulnefs of manner, fuperior, 
I think, to any thing I had ever before feen, although the A- 
byflinians are all orators, as, indeed, are moft. barbarians. 
Vo... 3X | “ Why 
