panion on the mule was a liar, and that I ihould not he a-
fraid, fo r there was no danger on the road, and that Ayto
Confu would be at Tcherkin as foon as I ; from which, and
his faying juft the contrary to you, I do believe the whole is
a firatagem o f the king.
A l l agreed in this. Hagi Ifmael mentioned it as a proof'
o f the worthleflnefs o f Chriftians, that even their kin gs
were as great liars as common m en ; and we had fearcely
done with this eonfultation, and difpelled our fears, when
word was brought to the tent, that the chiefs o f two o f
the principal villages were at the door, defiring to be admitted,
and had with them feveral fervants loaded with
provifions. They were immediately introduced, and they
prefented us with two goats, feveral jars o f bouza, and,
a quantity o f bread, Which I divided among my retinue,,
now become ha lf Chrifiians and ha lf Mahometans, neither
o f whom ate meat killed by the other.
A f t e r the firft -civilities were over, I afked the governor
o f Waalia all the queftions that were needful about th e
ftate o f the roads and the country, and whether the Shan-
galla ever made an attempt upon Tcherkin ? They faid, A ll
was peace ; that the people came and went to the market
without being interrupted. They laughed at the queftion
about the Shangalla. Ayto Confu, they laid, fometimes
went down and deftroyed many o f that people, and brought
others away as llaves,; but the Shangalla were not men to attack
a place where there was a number o f horfe, n or to clim h
mountains to dellroy houfes well llored with fire-arms.
Have you, faid I, feen nobody pals by from Ayto Confu
la te ly ? About four or five days ago, anfwered he, a fervant
was here, with orders to have victuals ready for you ; who
alfo
alfo told us, that he would come himfelf in three or four
days after. I heard alfo, that his fervant Ammonios had
gone round Nara to take polTeffion o f fome villages the
k in g had given Ozoro Either, and that he had with him
a. number o f horfe and foot, and feveral Gzoros, going to
Tcherkin, but they had gone the upper road, confequently
had not come this" way. Is there no danger, faid I, in
palling Dav-Dohha ? Why, at Dav-Dohha, faid he, there is
danger, it is a bad place, nobody pafies it on horfeback; but
I fee -your horfes are ihod with iron, w h ich none in this
country are ; however, to avoid all danger, you had better
lead your horfes and mules, and. w a lk on foot, it is not far..
I c o u l d not help burfting o u t into a fit o f laughter at
the fancied danger that attended us at D a v -D o h h a a n d ,
as I faw this difconcsrted our informant, and that h e thought
he had faid fomething wrong, I told him briefly what had
palled at meeting with the two men upon the road. He
laughed very heartily at this in. his turn. 8 That man did
not flop here, fays he, and who he is I know n o t b u t w hoever
he is, he is a liar, and abeaft o f the field- All the
people o f Dav-Dohha are our relations^ and Ayto Confu’s
fervants ; i f there had been any body to attack you, there
would have been found here people to defend you. What
fignifies his ordering us to furnilh you with victuals, i f he
was to fuller your throats to be cut before you came to eat
them? I w ill anfwer for you between this and Tcherkin ;;
after that, all is wildernefs, and noman knows i f he is to
meet friend or foe.”
I t o l d him then what had happened'to us at Gimbaar,,
a t which he feemed exceedingly furprifed, “ Thefe villages,,
; ' ' fays-;