Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/401

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THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 377

were Mahometans, and lived at Emfras, I could not be bet- ter fituated, or more at my liberty and cafe, than there.

After having taken my leave of the king and the Ras, I paid the fame compliment to the Iteghe at Kofcam : I had not for feveral days been able to wait upon her, on account of the riots during the marriage, where the Ras required my attendance, and would admit of no excufe. That excellent princefs endeavoured much to difluade me from leaving Gondar. She treated the intention of going to the fource of the Nile as a fantaftical folly, unworthy of any man of fenfe or undemanding, and very earaeftly advifed me to flay under her protection at Kofcam, till I faw whether Ras Michael and the king would return, and then take the firft good opportunity of returning to my own country through Tigre, the way that I came, before any evil mould overtake me.

I excusfd myfelf the belt I could. It was not eafy to do it with any degree of conviction, to people utterly unlearn- ed, and who knew nothing of the prejudice of ages in fa- vour of the attempt I was engaged in. I therefore turned the difcourfe to ,profefIions of gratitude for beneiits that I had every day received from her, and for the very great ho- nour that Ihe then did me, when (he condcfcended to teflify her anxiety concerning the fate of a poor unknown travel- ler like me, who could not pombly have any merit but what arofc from her own gracious and generous fentiments, and univerfal charity, that extended to every object, in pro- portion as they were helplefs. " See, fee, fays fhe, how every day of our life punifhes us with proofs of the per- verfenefs and contradi&ion of human nature ; you are

Vol. III. 3 B come