THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 621
who I am, and that I fliall not be troublefome to you ; but I have a large fum of money, and do not chufe to have it known, I hope, however, you willgive me your protecftion fov the fake of my mailer." — " Indeed, friend, faid I, I have but feven lliillings in the whole world, and my cloaths, I be- lieve, are not worth much above that fum, and it is but a few days ago I was rejoicing at this as one of mygreateft fecurities. Bur fince Providence has, I hope for yoiir good, thrown you and your money in my way, I will do the bell for you that is in my power, the fame as if it was my own."
On the loth of January 1773 we arrived at the convent of St George, all of us, as I thought, worfe in health and fpirits than the day we came out of the defert. Nobody knew us at the convent, either by our face or our language, and it was by a kind of force that we entered. Ifraael, and the Copht went ftraight to the Bey, and I, with great - difficulty, had intercft enough to fend to the patriarch and my merchants at Cairo, by employing the two only piaftres 1 had in my pocket. If the capuchins at Furfliout received us coldly, thefe Caloyeros of St George kept us Hill at a greater diftance. It was half by violence that we got admittance into the convent. But this difficulty was to be but of fhort duration ; the morning was to end it, and give us a fight of our friends, and in the meantime we were to ileep foundly. We had nothing elfe to do, having no visuals, and the Caloyeros nothing to give us, even if they had beent inclined, of which we had not feen yet the fmallell to- ken.
This we thought, and this, in the common view of things, we were intitled to think ; but wc forgot that we were at
Cairo-
