face o f the earth in fearcb o f wifdom, and are always to<
do fo till Hagiuge Magiuge come, and then there w ill be
an end o f the world.” I made a bow o f aifein to the Moul-
lah, and all the reft turned up their eyes to heaven in,
wonder o f fo much learning, repeating their ufual ejaculation,
“ Ullah Akbar!” God is great. I now took my
leave o f them, and was going home, when the younger
fherriffe called after me, and fa id ,“ I fuppofe, now you are
all at peace,, we ihall not fee the ftgn that you. foretold us.
was to appear in the heavens to-day.” “ I Ihould b e thought
a liar i f it did not appear, faid I ; do you wilh to.
fee it ?”■— “ i w iih to fee it, fays he, i f it will do no harm.”— -
“ Then, replied I, you iha ll fee it, and it ihall do no harm,
n ow . I- hope it w ill bring health and happinefs, and a;,
good crop to.Teawa, and all the kingdom o f Sennaar. Go»
home, while I order my affairs. Something more than?
two hours after this I w ill come to you, and it will- them
appear. T hey all went away, and, as I thought by their-
looks, they would have been better fatisfied that affair had;
been forgot, the Shekh faying peevifhly to the iherriffe,.
“ Let him mind his affairs and b is journey ; what, is. thee
ufe o f thefe things now f ’
1 h a b reftifted my watch by obfervation. 1 knew It
could not be far wrong, having feen in the ephcmerides
the hour the eclipfe was to b e g in , I paffed a corner of.
the Shekh’s houfe, and went in at the back-door,. He was,
there with his ufual friends, the Moullah, the fticrriffe, the:
Kaiya, and one or two more. The iherriffe a iked me-
where the fign would appear; and the Moullah, i f there,
would be any thunder and lightning ? I told them there-
w o u ld be nothing difagreeahle at alL I went to the door,.
and:
and faw it was begun. There was to be a total eclipfe
o f the moon. I did not tell them at firft, till it had advanced
feme way, and was apparent upon the diilc. “ Now ! lo ok at
that, faid I ; in fome time after this the moon ihall be fo totally
fwallowed up in darknefs, that a fmall'light iliall only be
feen in the edges.” They were frightened at the denunciation,
rather than at any thing they obferved, till a little before
the eclipfe became total, A violent apprehenfiOn theft
fell upon them all ; and the women from their apartments
began to howl as they do on all melancholy oceafions o f
misfortune, or death. The y were in the inner fquare..
| Now, continued I, I have kept my word ; it will foon be--
elear again, and. will do no harm.to man.orbeaft.”
I t was agreed among them that T f lio u ld 'n o tg o home:
till it was totally at an end. I confented to this and o n ly
faid to the Shekh, that I wiihed he w ould let me fee mypa-
tients before I went away, for that one. o f . them was really
ill, and.needed advice. He feemed to take it very kindly,..
gaid defired me to go in. I was met in the anti-chamber by
Aifeach,, and two or three black flaves, who cried -out in-
great terror, “ G! H a k im ! what is this ! what are you goin g
to do!" “ I am go in g to do, Madam, faid f, one o f themott.
difagreeahle things I ever did in my life ; I am go in g to-
.take leave o f you.” I was immediately furrotmded With-,
a number o f women,, fome of. them crying, fome o f them ,
with children in their.arms. I went.into the room where
the two ladies were, whom I quieted and fatisfied to the
Utmoft o f my power. We parted with reciprocal profellions
o f friendihip and regret at feparation. I then begged that
I m ight fee their Have, who ufed to bring us meat, with a-
clean cloth, to wrap up fomething I had .for theni. T he y
4„- toldi