Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/21

 sure it is the custom." "And his servant, too? said I. "Certainly, his servant too; and if he had ten servants that ate and drank in your house, you most cloath them all." "I think, said I, Ayto Aylo, a physician at this rate had much better let his patients die than recover them at his own expence." "Yagoube, says Aylo, I see this is not a custom in your country, but it is invariably one in this: it is not so among the lower set of people; but if you will pass here as a man of some degree of consequence, you cannot avoid this without making Welled Amlac your enemy: the man is opulent; it is not for the value of the cloaths, but he thinks his importance among his neighbours is measured by the respect shewn him by people afar off; never fear, he will make you some kind of return, and for the cloaths I shall pay for them." "By no means, said I, my good friend; I think the anecdote and custom is so curious that it is worth the price of the cloaths; and I beg that you would believe, that, intending to go through Maitsha, I consider it as a piece of friendship in you to have brought me under this obligation." "And so it is, says he: I knew you would think so; you are a cool dispassionate man, and walk by advice, and do not break through the customs of the country, and this reconciles even bad men to you every day, and so much the longer shall you be in safety."

The reader will not doubt that I immediately fulfilled my obligation to Welled Amlac, who received his cloaths, a girdle, and a pair of sandals, in all to the amount of about two guineas, with the same indifference as if he had been buying them for ready money. He then asked for his servant's cloaths, which were ready for him. He only said he thought they were too good, and hinted as if he should take them