Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/432

 404 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

face of the earth in fearch of wifdom, and are always to do fo till Hagiuge Magiuge come, and then there will be an end of the world." I jnade a bow of aflent to the Moul- lah, and all the reft turned up their eyes to heaven in wonder of fo much learning, repeating their ufual ejacu- lation, " Ullah Akbar!" God is great. I now took my leave of them, and was going home, when the younger Iherriffe called after me, and faid, " I fuppofe, now you are all at peace, we fliall not fee the fign that you foretold us was to appear in the heavens to-day," " I fhould be thought a liar if it did not appear, faid I ; do you wifh to fee it ?" — " I wifli to fee it, fays he, if it will do no harm." — " Then, replied I, you fhall fee it, and it Ihall do no harm now. I hope it will bring health and happinefs, and a good crop to Teawa, and all the kingdom of Sennaar. Ga home, while I order my affairs. Something more than two hours after this I will come to you, and it will then appear. They all went away, and, as I thought by their looks, they would have been better fatisfied that affair had; been forgot, the Shekh faying peevifhly to the fherriffe^ " Let him mind his affairs and his journey ; what is the; vfe of thefe things now ?"

I HAD redlified my watch by obfervation. I knew 1 could not be far wrong, having fccn in the ephemerides. the hour the echpfe was to begin. I pafTed a corner of the Shekh's houfe, and went in at the back-door. He was there with his ufual friends, the Moullah, the fherrifte, the Kaiya, and one or two more. The flierriffe afke'd me where the fign would appear ; and the Moullah, if there would be any thunder and lightning ? I told them there would be nothing difagreeable at all.. I went to the door,,

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