THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 39*
About i i o'clock in the morning the king's Fit-Auraris pafled. He was a near relation of Ayamico, one of the chiefs of the Agows who was a relation of the king, as I have be- fore mentioned, and flain by Fafil at the battle of Banja. With him I had contracted. a great degree of friendfhip ; he had about 50 horfe and 200 foot: as he pafled at feveral places he made proclamation in name of the king, That nobody fhould leave their houfes, but remain quiet in them without fear, and that every houfe found empty fhould be burnt. He fent a fervant as he pafled, telling me the king was that night to lie at Lamgue, and defiring me to fend him what fpirits I could fpare, which I accordingly did, upon his providing a man who could protect the houfes adjoining mine from the robbery and the violence of which the inhabitants were- in hourly fear.
About the clofe of the evening we heard the king's kettle-drums. Forty-five of thefe inftruments conftanrly go before him, beating all the way while he is on his march. The Mahometan town near the water was plun- dered in a minute ; but the inhabitants had long before re- moved every thing valuable. Twenty different parties of ftragglers came up the hill to do the fame by Emfras. Some of the inhabitants were known, others not fo, but their houfes had nothing in them ; at lafl thefe plunderers all uni- ted in mine, demanding meat and drink, and all fort of ac- commodation. Our friend, left with us by the Fit-Auraris, re- fifled as much as one man could do with flicks and whips, and it was a fcuffle till mid-night ; at lafl, having cleared ourielves of them, luckily without their fetting fire to the town, we remained quiet for the reft of the night.
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