THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 565
holding me on each fide very attentively for fear of the holes ; but the want of fhoes was very inconvenient, the pointed rocks and Hones at the bottom giving me fcveral deep cuts on the foles of my feet; after this the beafts were led all to the fame fide with myfelf, alio one fervant was palfed with the greateft care by thefe poor people. Woldo had tipt me the wink to crofs as they defired me : except my fingle gun, all the fire-arms and fervants remained with the baggage and Woldo ; and now we foon faw what was his intention, and how well he underftood that the coun- try he was in belonged to Faiil his mailer..
There were between twenty and thirty of the Agows, old and young, fome of them armed with lances and fhields,. and all of them with knives. Woldo took his fmall Hick in one hand, fat down upon a green hillock by the ford with his lighted pipe in the other ; he ranged my people behind him, leaving the baggage by itfelf, and began gravely to exhort the Agows to lofe no time in carrying over our bag- gage upon their moulders. This propofal was treated with a kind of ridicule by the foremoft of the Agows, and they began plainly to infinuate that he mould firft fettle with them a price for their trouble. He continued, however, fmoaking his pipe in feeming. leifure, and much at his eafe, and, putting on an air of great wifdom, in a tone of mode^ ration he appealed to them whether they had not of their own accord infilled on our eroding the river on foot, had unloaded our baggage, and fent the mules to the other fide without our confent. The poor people candidly de- clared that they had done fo, becaufe none are permitted in any other manner to crofs the Nile, but that they would like wife carry our baggage fafely and willingly over for
pay
