The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African TravellerHead, Francis Bond, Sir
History
The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African Traveller
Head, Francis Bond, Sir
Bruce, James, 1730-1794; Ethiopia -- Description and travel
In an interview which Bruce afterward had with Fasil, he made him some
handsome presents, for which he appeared to be exceedingly grateful. "I
have nothing to return you for the present you have given me," said
Fasil, "for I did not expect to meet a man like you here in the fields;
but you will quickly be back; we shall meet on better terms at Gondar;
the head of the Nile is near at hand; a horseman, express, will arrive
there in a day. I have given you a good man, well known in this country
to be my servant; he will go to Geesh with you, and return you to a
friend of Ayto Aylo's and mine, Shalaka Welled Amlac; he has the
dangerous part of the country wholly in his hands, and will carry you
safe to Gondar; my wife is at present in his house: fear nothing, I
shall answer for your safety. When will you set out? to-morrow?"
Bruce replied, with many thanks for his kindness, "that he wished to
proceed immediately, and that his servants were already far on the way."
"You are very much in the right," says Fasil; "it was only in the idea
that you were hurt with that accursed horse that I would have wished you
to stay till to-morrow; but throw off these bloody clothes; they are not
decent; I must give you new ones; you are my vassal. The king has
granted you Geesh, where you are going, and I must invest you." A number
of his servants hurried Bruce out, and he was brought back in a few
minutes to Fasil's tent with a fine, loose muslin under-garment or cloth
round him which reached to his feet. Fasil now took off the one that he
had put on himself new in the morning, and placed it on Bruce's
shoulders with his own hand (his servants throwing another immediately
over him), saying at the same time to the people, "Bear witness, I give
to you, Yagoube, the Agow Geesh, as fully and freely as the king has
given it me." Bruce bowed and kissed his hand, as is customary for
feudatories, and he then pointed to him to sit down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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