358 TRAVELS TO DISCOVEH
greateft part of the dangers you have paiTed in the way are, I believe, as yet unknown to you. Your Moor, Yafine, of Ras el Feel, is a thief worfe than any in Habefh. Se- veral times you efcaped very narrowly, by mere chance, from being cut off, efpecially at Rafhid, by the Arabs Da- veina, whom Yafme had polled there to murder you. But you have a clean heart, and clean hands. God faw their defigns, and protected you ; and, I may fay alfo, on my own part, I was not wanting."
Being then on my legs for retiring, I returned no an- fwer,, but the ufual one (Ullah Kerim) i. e. God is merciful. Soliinan, on the other fide, echoed, " Ullah Kerim /" by which I faw he underftood me. We both went out, and were condudled to the apartment provided by the old man in the red cloak, who met us on oiu- firft arrival at the river, and who now walked before me till we came to the houfe. It was a very decent one, confiiHng only of one large room, and flood clofe upon the river. This fituation v^^as chofcn with an intention to keep open the correfpondence with the Shekh of Nile's fervant, whom we had fent to thejehaina, and who occafionally was to meet us there ; but Soliman told the old man, it was neceflar)' to me, on account of fre- quent ablutions before prayer, which my religion obliged nie to perform. This old man was called Hagi Soliman Kaiya, that, is, the Sliekh's Lieutenant, He had been at Mecca, and had feen Metical Aga, and knew his poft and confcquencc ; but he was a nxurdcrcr and robber like his mafter, a liar and •dillcmbkr beyond all conception.
We had fcarce taken polTefllcn of our lodging, or thrown
off our clothes to put ourfelves at our eafe, when feveral
2 flaves
