Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/609

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 585'

for eating: we had fortunately meat with us, and only want-* ing vegetables to complete our dinner. We appropriated to ourfelves, without fcruple, this enfete; and, by way of repara- tion, I infifted upon leaving, at parting, a brick, or wedge of fait, which is ufed as fmall money in Gondar, and all over Abyflinia ; it might be in value about a milling.

On the 4th of November, at eight o'clock we left our fmall village on the plain of Abola, without having feen any of the inhabitants; however, we were fure there were among them fome who were curious enough to wifh to look at us, for, in walking late at night, I heard feveral voices fpeaking low among the enfete-trees and canes. It was not poflible to collect what they faid in the low tone in which they fpoke ; and I mould not probably have been much wifer, had they fpoken louder, as their language was that of their country, the Agow, of which I did not underfland one word ; how- ever, I thought I could diuinguifh they were women, the men apprehending we were enemies having probably taken refuge in the mountains above. I did every thing poflible to furround or furprife one or two of thefe people, that, by good-ufage and prefents, we might reconcile them to us, and get the better of their fear ; but it was all to no purpofe; they fled much quicker than we could purfue them, as they knew the country, and it was not fafe to follow them far into the wildernefs, left we might Humble upon people who might mifinterpret our intentions.

I was determined to try whether, by taking away that fcare-crow, Fafil's horfe, from before us, and riding him my- felf, things would change for the better : this I diflinclly faw, that Woldo would have wifhed the horfe to have gone

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