THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 567
other, crippled abfolurely in the feet by the flones, and the river fo full of pits and holes, that, had they been all laden on the other fide and ready, no one could have been bold enough to lead a beaft through without a guide : the difficulty was not imaginary, I had myfelf an inftant before made proof of it, and all difficulties are relative, greater or lefs, as you have means in your hands to overcome them. I was clearly fatisfied that Woldo knew the country 3 and was provided with a remedy for all this ; I conceived that this pacific behaviour, while they were unloading the mules, and driving them acrofs the river, as well as his fury afterwards, was part of fome fcheme, with which I was refolved in no fhape to interfere ; and nothing convin- ced me more of this than his refolute demand of a gun, when no perfuafion could make him flay within ten yards of one if it was discharged, even though the muzzle was pointed a contrary direction. I fat ftill, therefore, to fee the end, and it was with fome furprife that I obferved him to take his pipe, flick, and my fervants along with him, and crofs the river to me as if nothing had happened, leaving the baggage on the other fide, without any guard whatfo- ever ; he then defired us all to get on horfeback, and drive the mules before us, which we did accordingly ; and I fup- pofe we had not advanced about a hundred yards before wc faw a greater number of people than formerly run down to where our baggage was lying, and, while one crofled the river to defire us to Hay where we were, the reft brought tire whole over in an inftant.
This, however, did not fatisfy our guide; he put on a ful- kv air, as if he had been grievoufly injured ; lie kept the mules, where they were, and would not fend one back to be
loaded
