594 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
and defired to fpeak with me alone, taking Aylo's fervant along with him, " Now, faid I, very calmly, I know by your face you are going to tell me a lie. I do fwear to you fo* lemnly, you never, by that means, will obtain any thing from me, no not fo much as a good word ; truth and good behaviour will get you every thing ; what appears a. great matter in your fight is not perhaps of fuch value in mine ; but nothing except truth and good behaviour will anfwer to you ; now I know for a certainty you are no more fick than I am." — " Sir, faid he, with a very confident look, you ars right ; I did counterfeit ; I neither have been, nor am I at prefent any way out of order; but I thought it befl to tell you fo, not to be obliged to difcover another reafon that has- much more weight with me why I cannot go to Geefh, and much lefs mew myfeif at the fources of the Nile, which I confefs are not much beyond it, though I declare to you
there is ftill a hill between you and thofe fources." " And
pray, faid I calmly, what is this mighty reafon ? have you had a dream, or a vifioii in that trance you fell into when- you lagged behind below the. church of St Michael SacalaP " No, fays he, it is neither trance, nor dream, nor devil ei- ther ; I wifh it was no worfe ; but you know as well as I, that my mailer Faiil defeated: the Agows at the battle of Banja. I was there with my mailer, and killed feveral men;, among whom fome were of the Agows of this village Geefh, and you know the ufage of this country, when a man, iw thefe circumftances, fails into their hands, his. blood mud", pay for their blood.
I burst out into a violent fit of laughter which very much difconcerted him. " There, faid I, did not I fay to you it was a. lie that you was going to tell me? do not think I diibe-
lievc
