have power to carry us o ff our feet, nor fuffocate us, which
was the ordinary cafe.
Our kind landlords, the Nuba, gave us a hearty welcome,
and helped us to waih our clothes firft, and then to d ry them.
When I was ftripped naked, they faw the blood running
from my nofe, and faid, they could not have thought that
one fo white as me could have been capable o f bleeding.
T hey gave us a piece o f roafled hog, which we ate, (except
-Ifmael and the Mahometans) very much to the fatisfaftion
o f the Nuba. On thé other hand, as our camel was lame,
we ordered one o f our Mahometan fervants to k ill it, and
take as much o f it as would ferve themfelves that night ; we
alfo provided againft wanting ourfelves the next day. The
reft we gave among our new-acquired acquaintance, the Nuba
of the village, who did not fail to make a feaft upon it
fo r feveral days after ; and, in recompence for our liberality,
they provided us with a large jar o f bouza, not very good,
indeed, but better than the well-water. This I repaid by
tobacco, beads, pepper, and ftibium, which I faw plainly
was.infinitely more than they expefted. Although we
had been a good deal furprifed at the fudden and violent
efFeéts o f the whirlwind o f that day, and feverely felt the.
bruifes it had occafioned, yet we pafled a very focial and
agreeable evening; thofe only o f the Nuba who had been
any time at Sennaar fpeak a bad kind o f Arabic, as well as
their own language. I had feldom, in my life, upon a
journey, palled a more comfortable night. I had a very
neat, clean hut, entirely to myfelf, and a Greek fervant that,
fat near me. Some o f the Nuba watched for us all night,
and took care o f our beafts and baggage. They fung and
2 replied
•replied to one another alternately, in notes fu ll o f pleafant
melody,
Et cantarc pares refpondere parati—
V i r g i l .
till I fe ll faft afleep, involuntarily, and with regret, for, tho’
bruifed, we were .not fatigued, but rather difcouraged, having
gone no further than two miles that day.
T he landlord o f the hut where ! was afleep having prepared
for our fafety and that o f our baggage, thought him-
fe lf bound in duty.to go and give immediate information
to the prime minifter o f .the unexpected guefts that then occupied
his houfe. He found Adelan'at fupper, but was immediately
admitted, .and a variety o f queftions alked him,
which he, anfwered fully. He defcribed our colour, our
number, the unufual fize and number o f our fire-arms, the
poornefs o f our attire, and, above all, our great chearful-
nefs, quietnefs, and aflfability, our being contented with eatin
g any thing, and in particular mentioned the hogs flefh.
One man then prefent, teftifying abhorrence to this, Adelan
faid o f me to our landlord, “ Why, he is a ibldier and a Kafr
like yourfelf. A foldier and a Kafr, when travelling in a
ftrange country, fhould eat every thing, and fo does every
other man that is wife ; has he not a fervant o f mine with
h im !” He anfwered, “ Yes, and a fervant o f the k in g too;
but he had left them, and was gone forward to Sennaar.”
“ Go you with them, fays he, and flay with them at Baf-
boch till I have time to fend for them to town.” ' He had
returned from Aira long before we arofe, and told us the
converfation, which was great comfort to us all, fo r we
V o l. IV , 3 H were