THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 3^5
letters, which I have fecn in their hands before reading, /
and al'fo read them afterwards ? Was I not fpeaking to them /
both this morning about the letters ? and are not they jud — ^
now waiting without ? If you have a mind to call them in, and quefliou them, do it now before me. What do you think Yafine will fay when he hears of the fine character you give him ?" " Soliman, replies the bhekh, in a very foft tone'of voice, I may have forgotten, in the many letters and affairs that pafs through my hands in a day ; but Yafme is my brother, and I will do every thing for him and you that you could wifn : flay only this week, and if my camels do not arrive, I v/ill fend and take them from the Arabs, wherever they can be found. They are for the king's bufi- iiefs, and not mine." He faid this with fuch an air of can- dour and fihcerity, that it was impofTible to doubt hmi.
•On the 26th, I went in the forenoon to fee the Shekh ; I
fat a few minutes v.'ith him, then rofe ^o go away. He
then inquired if I had any thing particular to afic ? T an-
fvvered, I had nothing but to pay my compliments to him.
He made me a very civil bow, and I took my leave. Next
day, the 2 7th, I ftaid in the houfe all day, it being the Shckh's
feftival. In the evening, the old man, who was the Kaiya,
cam.e to my houfe with compliments from the Shekh. Ke
told me Fidele was often ill with complaints in the ftomach,
and hinted that it was from exceffive drinking. He wifaed
that I Vi^ould give him fome medicine to vomit him, and
reilorc his appetite, which he had perfectly lod. The old
man added, that tliis was the way to make the Shekh do
what I wiilied, fooner than all the prefents in the Vv^orld.
I told him, that he might afllire Fidele, that I both could,
and would do him that fervice, and for that purpofe Vvould
wait upon him at 6 o'clock next evening.
Z z 2 On
