Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/437

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 413

tend to fay whether his vifage cleared up, for he was ftill perfectly hid with the carpet, as it began to grow cool as well as dark ; but the fight of the lights in the houfes of Da- ra, and the promife of the new cloaths and the fafh, had very much foftened his voice and expreflions.

" Sir, fays he, bringing his mule clofe up to mine, now, you are not in a pajwn, one may fpeak to you. Do you not think that it is tempting Providence to come fo far from your own country to feek thefe d — n'd weeds and flowers, at the rifk of having your throat cut every hour of the day, and, what is worfe, my throat cut too, and of being gelded into the bargain? Are there no weeds, and bogs, and rivers in your own country ? what have you to do with that d — n'd Nile, where he rifes, or whether he rifes at all, or not ? What will all thofe trees and branches do for you when thefe horrid blacks have done your bufinefs, as they were near do- ing mine ? He then made a fign towards his girdle with his fingers, which made me underftand what he meant — " Nile, fays he, curfe upon his father's head the day that he was born."

" Strates, replied I gravely, he has no father, and was- never bom. Ferturfine tejle creatus, fays the poet." — " There's your Latin again ; the poet is an afs and a blockhead, let him be who he will, continued Strates ; and I do maintain, whether you be angry or not, that at Stanchio and Scio there are finer trees than ever you faw, or will fee in Abyf- finia. There is a tree, fays he, that fifty men like you, fpreading all your hands round about, would not be able to grafp it. Nay, it is not a tree, it is but half a tree ; it is as old, I believe, as Methufelah : Did you ever fee it ?" — " I tell

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