xxii PREFACE. 
merchant narrated of his own accord the ftory of 
fliooting a wax -candle through feven fhields ; but 
when I alked him if Bruce had been at the Abyf- 
linian fource of the Nile, he affirmed that he never 
was there. He obferved that Bruce had been ap- 
pointed governor of Rds-el-Ftly a province in which 
Arabic is fpoken. My informer added, that the 
AbyfTins were a grofs ignorant people, and often 
ate raw flefh. 
In Dar-Fur a Bergoo merchant, named Hadji 
Hamddy who had long relided in Sennaar, and was 
in Bruce' s party from Gondar to Sennaar, faid that 
Taktib had been highly favoured in the Abyffinian 
court, and lived fplendidly. He was often obferv- 
ing the ftars, &c. Both my informers agreed that 
he had been governor of Ras-el-Fil ; and both, that 
he had never viHted the Abyflinian fource of the 
Nile, efteemed the real one in that ignoranc 
country. 
An Englifhman under the name of Robarts came 
to Alexandria in 1788, and after a fhort ftay pro- 
ceeded 
