Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/576

 j,f^ TRAVELS TO DISCOVER'

Having received all the affurances pofTible from Idris- that he v/ould live and die with us, after having repeated the prayer of peace, we put on the beft countenance poffible, and committed ourielves to the dcfert. There were Ifmael th-e Turk, two Greek fervants befides Georgia, who was almoll blind and ufelefs. Two Barbarins, who took care of the camels, Idris, and a young man, a relation of his, who joined him at Barbar, to return home ; in all nine perfons, eight only of whom were efFeftive. We were all well-armed with blunderbufTes, fwords, piflolsy and double- barrelled guns, except Idris and his lad, who had lances, the only arms they could ufe. Five or fix naked wretch- es of the Tucorory joined us at the watering place, much againrt my will, for I knew that we fhould probably be re- duced to the difagreeable necelTity of feeing them die with thirrt before our eyes ; or by affiiling them, Ihould any ac- cident happen to our water, we ran a very great rifli of gerilhing with th*;m. .

It was on the 9th of November, at noon, we left Gooz, and fet out for the fakia, or watering-place, which is be- low a little village called Hail'a. All the weft fide of tlife Nile is full of villages down to Takaki, but they are all Jaheleen, without government, and perpetually in rebel- lion. At half paft three in the afternoon we came to the Nile to lay in our llore of water. We filled four Ikina, which might contain altogether about a hogfhead and a half. As for our food, it confifted in twenty-two large goat5 fikins fluffed with a powder of bread" made of dora here at Gooz, on purpofe for fuch expeditions. It is about the fize and Ihape of a pancake, but thinner. Being much dried, rather than toafted at the fire, it is afterwards rub- bed