Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/548

 5 24 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

out about a quarter of an hour, when we were again call- ed in.

I cannot fay but I enjoyed heartily the fright I had vi- iibly given him ; it feemed to me that Aylo's brother, Gue- bia thud, was the only peribn whom he confulted, for it was he alone that remained with him in his tent when we entered ; he had changed his drefs ; a man was combing his hair, and perfuming it ; and he had a new, white, fine cotton cloth thrown about his middle loofely, which cover- ed his legs and feet, his breafts, neck, and moulders, being quite naked ; he rofe half up from his feat when I came in, made me fit down on a cufhion befide him, and was going to fpeak, when I refolved to have the firft word, for fear he fhould engage me in more difcuffions. " Your continual hurry, faid I, all the times I have feen you, has put it out of my power till now to make you the acknowledgment it is ordinary for ftrangers to prefent when they vifit great men in their own country, and afk favours of them." I then took a napkin, and opened it before him ; he feemed to have for- got the prefent altogether, but from that moment I faw his countenance changed, he was like another man. "OYagoube, fays he, a prefent to me ! you mould be fenfible that is per- fectly needlefs; you were recommended to me by the King and the Ras ; you know, fays he, we are friends, and I would do twenty times as much for yourfelf, without re- commendation from either ; befides, I have not behaved to you like a great man."

It was not a very hard thing to conquer thefe fcruples ; he took the feveral pieces of the prefent one by one in his hands, and examined them; there was a crimfon filk fafh,

3 made