Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 3 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 3 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
I soon saw the treachery of the Naybe. He had not, indeed, forbid me
to go and see his nephew, but he had forbid any boat to carry me;
and this I told the servant, appealing to the Sardar for what I said
in the divan of my willingness to go to Arkeeko to Achmet, though I
positively refused to go to Hamazen. I begged the servant to stop
for a moment, and go to the Sardar who was in the castle, as I had
been very essentially obliged to him for his interposition at a very
critical time, when there was an intention to take away my life. I sent
him a small present by Achmet’s servant, who delivered the message
faithfully, and had heard all that had passed in the divan. He brought
me back a pipe from the Sardar in return for my present, with this
message, That he had heard of my countrymen, though he had never seen
them; that he loved brave men, and could not see them injured; but
Achmet being my friend, I had no need of him. That night he departed
for Arkeeko, desiring us to shut the door, and leaving us another man,
with orders to admit nobody, and advising us to defend ourselves if any
one offered to force entrance, be they who they would, for that nobody
had business abroad in the night.
I now began to resume my confidence, seeing that Providence had still
kept us under his protection; and it was not long when we had an
opportunity to exercise this confidence. About 12 o’clock at night a
man came to the door, and desired to be admitted; which request was
refused without any ceremony. Then came two or three more, in the
name of Achmet, who were told by the servant that they would not be
admitted. They then asked to speak with me, and grew very tumultuous,
pressing with their backs against the door. When I came to them, a
young man among them said he was son to Emir Achmet, and that his
father and some friends were coming to drink a glass of aracky (so they
call brandy) with me. I told him my resolution was not to admit either
Emir Achmet, or any other person at night, and that I never drank
aracky.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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