TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA* 
88 
were in as perfect security as if Fasil himself 
had accompanied them. They soon accordingly 
met a chief, with a party under his command, who 
scarcely spoke to ^Bruce, but addressed the horse 
in terms of the deepest veneration, and held with 
him a conversation of some length, in which he 
lamented his fate in being delivered to a white 
man, who could never entertain an adequate sense 
of what was due to him. Our traveller, there- 
fore, proceeded in full confidence with Woldo and 
the horse, though he found great difficulty in re- 
straining the rapacious disposition of the former. 
At length he reached the district of Sacala, a green 
and fertile region, in which these long sought for 
fountains were to be found. His emotions were 
first raised to the highest pitch, by arriving at a 
portion of the infant stream - 9 so narrow that it 
could be stepped over, which he did in triumph 
fifty or sixty times. Then, at his eager desire, he 
was led by his guide to the principal fountain. He 
now bursts into raptures similar to those of Payz, 
at having arrived at an object which the most 
powerful sovereigns of ancient or modern times 
had sought in vain to explore* These ecstasies 
were very suddenly interrupted by gloomy reflec- 
tions on his situation, and on the dangers by which 
he is surrounded. He soon recovered his cheer- 
fulness, however, and spent some days in examin- 
ing the appearance of all the places around. He 
