Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/592

 5 68 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

loaded at the river-fide, alledging it was unlucky to turn back upon a journey ; he made them again take the bag- gage on their moulders, and carry it to the very place where our mules had halted, and there lay it down. On this they all flocked about him, begging that he would not report them to his mailer, as fearing fome fine, or heavy chaftife- ment, would fall upon their villages. The guide looked very fulky, faid but very little, and that all in praife of himfelf, of his known mildnefs and moderation; as an in- ftance of which he appealed (impudently enough) to his late behaviour towards them. If fuch a one, fays he, naming a man that they knew, had been in my place, what a fine reckoning he would have made with you; why, your punifh- jnent would not have ended in feven years. They all acknow- ledged the truth of his obfervation, as well as his moder- ation, gave him great commendations, and, I believe, fome promifes when he palled there on his return.

Here I thought our affair happily ended to the fatisfac- tion of all parties. I mounted my horfe, and Woldo went to a large filk bag, or purfe, which I had given him full of tobacco, and he had his match and pipe in his hand, juft as if he was going to fill it before he fet out; he then unloofed the bag, felt it on the outfide, putting firfl: his three fingers, then his whole hand, pinching and fqueezing it both within- fide and without ; at laft he broke out in a violent tranfport of rage, crying that his gold was gone, and that they had robbed him of it. I had not till this fpoke one word : I afked him what he meant by his gold. He faid he had two ounces (value about 5L) in his tobacco purfe, and that fome perfon had laid hold of them when the baggage lay on the other fide of the water ; that the Agows had done it, and 2 that