55o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
met, Shekh of Beyla, who was to forward him to Sennaar ; and this he certainly would have done immediately without delay, but for a misfortime that happened, and entirely dif- concerted the plan. The Daveina, on their way to Beyla, had heard that an encampment of Arabs, (who ufually, at this time, occupy the banks of the Nile) had come eall- ward towards Atbara. Whether the Daveina intended to attack thefe Arabs, or were afraid the Arabs intended to fall upon them, I know not ; but they returned weftward to the left, inftead of coming to Beyla ; they fent my fer- vant forward, after fome lofs of time, and Mahomet, Shekh of Beyla, had forwarded him to Sennaar. Here, too, he was detained by Shekh Adelan, the firft minifter, who happened then not to be at Sennaar, but levying taxes upon the Arabs. This we did not know at that time ; fo every moment we expedled his arrival. We were difappointed, likewife, in not finding a fervant of the Shekh of Beyla waiting for us, who was to inform us of the fituation of the country about Bey- la. This we more wondered at, becaufe, being ill of the gravel, he had expreficd himfelf very anxious, in his letter to Yafme, to have fome lime-water, which his fervant was to get from, me at Teawa. We did not then know, as v«re foon afterwards did, that this fervant had been waiting for us at Teawa, and that Shekh Fidele had informed him that I was no longer coming by Atbara, but that Coque Abou Barea had fent me, under the care of fome Ganjar horfe, ftraight down the Dcnder from Kuara ; fo that the Shekh of Beyla did not expe(5t to fee me.
All this being imknown to us, we were in conflant ex-
pedlation of icrvants from Sennaar, and the meiTage from the
Shekh of Beyla. But, as we all agreed we were in danger,
4 we
