THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. Sij
jmaglncd to have fought the Bifiiarcen than that fpct, had they dared to attacb, which is not probable. It was a nar- row, deepi fandy ftraic, and rugged on each fide of it. Via could have put our camels, with our water, in perfect: Securi- ty behind us, while our fire-arms, fafely from- the rock, would, with the firfl difoharge, have deflroyed the bed men among them, and fcattered the herd of them into the def^rt.- The Tucorory would have feized their camels and water, of which they had but a fmall quantity, or we (hould have fliot the fkins through, or the Aga's horie would have over- taken them. In either cafe, as they were two days journey from Abou Bertran, the greateft part of them wouW have died with thirft ; and if they had chofen to folluw us, which- af ter this rude treatment they would not have done, they could never have reached us till we had got out of clieir territory into thofe of the Ababde, where they were as- much Grangers, and in as great danger as we^ and the wells not capable of filling their girbas, fo that they would have brought themfelvcs both into diftrefs and difpute. This is- all that I know of Mahomet To vvafli."
The Aga faid to himfeif," Ullah Akbar;" and Several of the company made their private ejaculations. The Imam had not yet fpoke,butaddreffing himfeif to the Aga, " True- it is, fays he, God is great, and does what feems to him bell; or who would have thought that, a fervant of the Caaba^ fliould be forfaken, while Kafrs like them, a thoufand of them not of the account of one hair of that man'sf head, were proteded by him, and arrived fafe and un» hMVt r
I WASi
