A li Bey from Cairo. All the Greeks here who have confi-
derable polls, and are proud and vain enough, have yet declared
to us feveral times, (as Antonio my fervant did to
me lalt night) that, in their own country, the belt o f them
are not higher in. rank than your fervants ; and that thofe
(who hitherto have come into this country were no better-
We know then, and the kin g is fenfible, that in your own
country you are equal to the bell o f us, and perhaps fu-
perior, and as fuch, even in thefe bad times, you have been
treated. Now, this being the cafe, you are wrong to expo
fe yourfelf like a common foldier. We all know, and
-have ieen, that you are a better horfeman, and ihoot better
.than we ; your gun carries farther, becaufe you ufe leaden
bullets; fo far is w e ll; but then you Ihould manage this
fo as never to a il alone, or from any thing that can have
the appearance o f a private motive*.” “ bir, faid I, you
kn ow that when I lirll came recommended, as you fay,
into this country,-Ayto Aylo, the molt peaceable, as well
as the wifelt man in it, the Ras, and I believe yourfelf,
but certainly many able and confiderable men who were
fo good as to patronize me, did then advife the putting me
into the king’s fervice and houfehold, as the only means
o f keeping me from robbery and infult. You-faid that I
could not be fafe one inltant after the kin g left Gondar;
being a Angle man,, who was fuppofed to have brought
money with him ; that therefore I mull conned myfelf
with young noblemen, officers o f confequence about court,
whofe authority and friendihip would keep ill-difpofed
people in awe* The k in g obferving in me a facility o f
managing
* He meant, from the inftigation o f Qzoro Either.
■managing my horfe and arms, with which, until that
time, he had been unacquainted, placed me about his per-
fon, both in the palace and in the held, for his own amufe-
ment, and I may fay inllrudion, and for my fafety; and
this advice has proved fo good, that I have never once deviated
from it but my life has been in danger. The firft
attempt I made to go to the cataraif, Guebra Mehedin
way-laid and intended to murder me. When the k in g was
in Tigré, Woodage Afahel defigned to do me the fame favour
by the Galla he fent from Samfeen ; and fo did Coque
Abou Barea at Degwafla, by the hands o f Welleta Selafle.
No fafety, therefore, then remained to me but in adhering
clofely to the king, as I have ever fince done, and was ad-
vifed from the firit to do, which indifpenfibly-brought me
to Serbraxos, or wherever he was in perfon. You cannot
think it is from a motive o f choice that a white man like
m y fe lf runs the rilk o f lofing his life, or limbs, fo far from
home, and where there is fo little medical affiftance, in a
war where he has no motive that can concern him.” -
“ Do not millake me, Yagoubc, fays Gufho, your behaviour
at Sebraxos does you honour, and will never make
you an enemy, fo does the like affair with Kefla Yafous ;
there is no man you can fo properly conneff yourfelf-witlt
as Kefla Yafous ; all I wanted to obferve to you is, that it is.
faid Woodage Afahel would have efcaped fafely from the
mountain i f you had not fliot him, and that yours was the
only mufquet that was fired at him ; which is thought
invidious in you, being a ftranger, as he is the head o f
the Edjow Galla, the late k in g’s guards ; they may yet return
to Gondar, and w ill look upon y ou as their enemy, becaufe
V ol. IV, . D d a leaden