S » "" 1 '33
C H A P . XIII.
• Kind reception at Ajfouan— Arrival at Cairo— T’ranfattione with the
Hey there— Hand at Marfeilles.
I T H O U T congratulating one another on their
efcape and fafe arrival, as they had the night before
at Abou Seielat, nay companions with one accord ran to the
Nile to d r in k ; though they had already feen, in the courfe
o f the journey, two or three tragical inllances, the confe-
quences o f intemperance in drinking water. I fat m y fe lf
down under the ihade o f the palm-trees, to recoil eft- myfelf.
It was very hot, and I fell into a profound lleep. But
Hagi Ifmael, who was neither ileepy nor thirfty, but exceedingly
hungry, fi'ad gone into the town in fearch o f
fomebody that would give him food. He was not gone far
before his green turban and ragged appearance ftruck feme
brethren janizaries, who met h im ; one o f whom aiked him
the r'eafon o f his being there, and whence h e came? Ifmael,
in a violent paillon, and broken Arabic, faid, that he was a
i janizary
janizary o f Cairo, was laft come from hell, where there was
■not one devil, but thoufands, from a coun try -o f Kafrs that
• c a l l e d themfelves Muffulmen; that he had walked through
a defert where the earth was on' fire and the wind was
flame, and in fear o f dying every day with thirft and h u n ger.
The foldier who heard him talk in this disjointed, raving
manner, defired him to go with him to the Aga. This w a s ,
the very thing that Ifmael wanted. He only defired time
■to acquaint his companions. “ Have you companions,
fays the foldier, from fuch a country?”— “ Companions I
' fays Ifmael; what the d e v il! do you imagine I came this
journey alone ?”— “ I f the journey, fays the man, is fuch as
you defcribe it,-I do not think many would go with y o u ; ,
well, go along with my companions, and I w ill feek
yours, but- h ow fha.ll I find them ?”- “ Go, fays Ifmael, to
the palm-trees, and when you find the talleft man you ever
faw in your life, more ragged and dirty than I am, call
him Yagoube, and defire him to come a lon g with you to
the Aga.”
T h e foldier accordingly found me ftill fitting pt the root
o f the palm-tree. The fervants, who had now fatisfied their
thirft, and were uncertain what was next to be done, were
fitting together at fome diftance from me. They began
to feel their own wearinefs, and were inclined to leave
me to a little repofe, which they hoped might enable
me to overcome mine. For my own part, a dullnefs and
inferifibility, an univerfal relaxation o f fpirits which I cannot
defcribe, a kind o f ftupor, or palfy o f the mind, had o-
' vertaken me, almoft to a deprivation o f underftanding. I
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