THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 361
we refolved, the next day, at meeting Shekh el Nile's fervant, to difpatch him to Ras el Feel, requiring Yafme to fend feme perfon, as from the king or Ayto Confu, to alk the rea- fon of our being detained, and to be a witnefs of the Shekh's behaviour and our departure. In the mean time, we de- termined to make our interviews with him as few as poffi- ble, till fome affiftance fliould arrive. Soliman met the Shekh el Nile's fervant, and gave him the letter he was to carry to Yaiine, explaining himfelf to the Arab by word of mouth.
On the night of the 24th of March, the day after our ar- rival, our difpatch fet off from Jibbel Ifriff for Has cl Feel ; where he arrived fafely, but found Yafme was gone to Ay- to Confu at Tcherkin, elfe he would certainly have been the firft to bring us comfort, for he had executed his com- miflion with great fidelity. This day I had ilaid in the houfe, being ill of the fimoom ; but had fent to Fidele, to let him know I fliould v/ait upon him next day, having as yet given him no prefent, and being defirous to know what effed that might have.
On the 25th, at four o'clock I waited upon the Shekh ac- cordingly, in his own houfe. Soliman the Moor, Hagi Ifmael the Turk, who, bcfides, was a flierriffe, and my Greek fervant, were along with me. I gave the Shekh, for a pre- fent, a large piece of blue Indian cotton cloth, with gold flowers, a filk and cotton fafli, about two ounces of civet, two pounds of nutmegs, and ten pounds of pepper. He received the prefentsrvery gracioufiy to appearance, and laid all the articles down beiide him. I deiired that he would difpatch me as foon as poffiblc, and, for that end, be pre-
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