a. - " 
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THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 585 
for eating: we had fortunately meat with us, and only want- 
ing vegetables to complete our dinner. We appropriated to 
ourfelves, without fcruple, this enfete; and, by way of repara- 
tion, I infifted upon leaving, at parting, a brick, or wedge of 
falt, which is ufed as {mall money in Gondar, and all over 
Abydflinia ; it might be in value about a fhilling. 
On the 4th of November, at eight o'clock we left our 
{mall village on the plain of Abola, without having feen any 
ef the inhabitants; however, we were fure there were among 
them fome who were curious enough to wifh to look at us, 
for, in walking late at night, I heard feveral voices {peaking 
low among the enfete-trees and canes. It was not poflible to 
collect what they faid in the low tone in which they {poke ; 
and I fhould not probably have been much wifer, had.they 
fpoken louder, as their language was that of their country, 
the Agow, of which I did not underftand one word; how- 
_ ever, I thought I could diftinguifh they were women, the 
men apprehending we were enemies having probably taken 
refuge in the mountains above. I did every thing poffible 
to furround or furprife one or two of thefe people, that, by 
good-ufage and prefents, we might reconcile them to us, 
and get the better of their fear; but it was all to no purpofe; 
they fled much quicker than we could purfue them, as 
they knew the country, and it was not fafe to follow them 
far into the wildernefs, left we might ftumble upon people 
_ who might mifinterpret our intentions. 
Iwas determined to try whether, by taking away that 
_ fcare-crow, Fafil’s horfe, from before us, and riding him my- 
felf, things would change for the better: this I diftin@ly 
faw, that Woldo would have wifhed the horfe'to have gone 
Vou. Ui. } 4k rather 
