574 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
moreover, undertake, that we fhall gain more by this than by any other method we could have purfued." " There is? one thing, however, fays Woldo, you would not furely have me free them the dues paid by every village where a king's fervant is employed to conduct flrangers, as I am you." " No, no, I do not go fo near as that ; we fhall only buy what you would have otherwiie taken by force for my ufe."
" Some years ago, fays Woldo, when I was a young man, in king Yafous's time, a white man, called Negade Ras Georgis, had both Geefh and Sacala given him by the king ; he went there twice a-year, and ftaid a month or more at a time ; he was a great hunter and drinker, and a devil for the women ; he not only fpent what he got from the vil- lage, but all the money he brought from Gondar into the bargain ; it was a jovial time, as I have heard ; all was mer- riment : The firft day he came there, fome of the men of Sacala, out of fport, difputing with three of the Agows of Zeegam, fell to it with their knives anil lances, and four men were killed in an inftant upon the fpot ; fine flout fellows, every one like a lion ; good men all of them ; there are no fuch days feen now, unlefs they come about when, you are there, and then 1 fhall have my fliare of every thing'".
- WoldOjfaid I, with all my heart; I fhallbe other wife employ-
ed ; but you mall be at perfect liberty to partake of every fport, always excepting thediverfion of killing four men." Eur I had obferved this day, with fome furprife, that he doubt- ed feveral times whether we were on the way to the foun- tains of the Nile or not ; and I did not think this profpect of entertainment which I held out to him was received with fuch joy as I expected, or as if he meant to partake of it.
St RATES
