Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/562

 Si$ TRAVEL S TO DISCOVER

banks of the river Kelti, at a quarter after fix in the morn- ing.

The Kelti here is a large river; at the ford it was four feet deep, though now the dry feafon : it is here called the K<d- ti Brand, becaufe fome miles higher up it is joined by a con- fiderable river called the Branti, which rifes to the weftward in the high lands of the Agow's Quaquera, and boih thefe flreams, when united, fall into the Nile a little below. The banks -of this river arc exceedingly fleep and dangerous, the earth loofe, falling in great lumps down into the ftream; it is a red bole of a foapy qualify; the bottom, too, and the afcent on the other fide are ib ft ; the water, though trou- bled and muddy, is fweet and well -tailed. We faw lights and fires on the oppofite bank, and had begun to unloofe the tent, when we received a menage by two Galla on foot, armed with lances and fhields, that we mould not encamp there, as our horfes and mules would probably be ilolen, but defiling us to pafs the river forth- with, and pitch our tent among them,

I asked Shalaka Woldo who thefe were ? He faid, they were an advanced port of Welleta Yafous, who had taken up that ground for the head-quarters to-morrow ; that they were all Galla, under a famous partifan, a robber, called me Jumper-, and, by the bye, he added, fpeaking foftly in my ear, that there was not a greater thief or murderer in all the country of the Galla. 1 paid him my compliments up- on the judicious choice he had made of a companion and a protector for us : to which he anfwered, laughing, The better, the better; you mail fee how it is the bet- ter. As it was neceilaiy to load the mules again, the tent

and