362 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
paring the camels. He anfwercd, the camels were fifteen days journey off, in the fandy deferc, for fear of the flies ; but that the want of them fhould not detain us, if he had leave from Sennaar, for which he was to write that night. He added, that they always were exceedingly tedious at Sen- naar, and both the town and road were, at prefent, in a very unfettled ftate. I told him, I was furprifed at this, as Hagi Belal had written to Yafme and myfelf alfo, in a letter (then in my cuflody) that orders were gone both to him and the Shekh of Bey la, to receive me kindly, and forward me fafely and fpeedily to Sennaar : that he himfclf had con- fefTed this to Yafme in a letter written to him from Teawa, dcfiring that I would come fpeedily, as he had every thing ready, which letter I myfelf had read. Fidele feemed in the utmod furprife at this. He lifted up his hands and eves, as if I had been tellinq; the ffreateft of lies. He faid, " he never wrote a letter about me to Valine in his life ; or, at leafl:, nor this year ; that it was all a forgery ot Yafine, knowing that I had a quantity of gold with me, to get me out into the defert, to rob and murder me there ; that I might fee he never could receive fuch orders, or elfc it would have been as inuch as his life was worth, not to have prepared to difparch me immediately ; but fo far from that, fays he, feek all over the town, and if you find one- camel, or any other number, I Vvill make you a prefcnt of them all, for this is entirely a forgery of Yafme."
SoLTMAN could bear this no longer. He told Fidele,. " That it was he who v/as a forger and a liar, not Yafine. Will you perfuade mc that I do not know of your letter to Y'afme ? Have not your fervants Ibvaiiim and Naffer lived with us at Ras el Feel for weeks together as bearers of thefe
letters.
