Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/553

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILfi. 529

nothing : the Iteghe will deliver them to you. The only other thing I have done to them was, I got them baptifed * I do not know if that will difpleafe them ; I did it as an additional protection to them, and to give them a title to the charity of the people of Gondar." " As for that, fays he, they don't care the leaft about baptifm ; it will neither do them good nor harm ; they don't trouble themfelves about thefe matters ; give them meat and drink, and you will be very welcome to baptife them all from morning to night ; after fuch good care thefe Galla are all your brethren, they will die for you before they fee you hurt." He then faid fomething to them in Galla again, and they all gave ano- ther affent, and made a ihew of killing my hand.

They fat down ; and, I muft own, if they entertained any good-will to me, it was not difcernible in their counte- nances. " Bciides this, continued Faul, you was very kind and courteous to my fervants while at Gondar, and faid many favourable things of me before the king; you fent me apre- fent alfo, and above all, when Joas my mailer's body was dug up from the church-yard of St Raphael, and all Gon- dar were afraid to fliew it the leaft refpecl, dreading the vengeance of Ras Michael, you, a flranger, who had never teen him, nor received benefit from him, at your own ex- pence paid that attention to his remains which would have better become many at Gondar, and me in particular, had I been within reach, or had intelligence of the matter : now, before all thefe men, afk me any thing you have at heart, and, be it what it may, they know I cannot deny it you." He delivered this in a tone and graceful nefs of manner, fuperior, I think, to any thing I had ever before feen, although the A- byfiinians are all orators, as, indeed, are moll barbarians. 'voL.IU. 3 X « Why