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
On the 14th, at day-break, I mounted my horse, with all my
men-servants, leaving the women-servants and an old man to take care
of the house. It was very unsafe to travel in such company at such an
hour. We crossed the river Arno, a little below Emfras, before we got
into the plain; after which we went at a smart gallop, and arrived at
Lamgué between eight and nine o’clock.
Early as it was, the king was then in council, and Ras Michael, who
had his advisers assembled also in his tent, had just left it to go to
the king’s. There was about 500 yards between their tents, and a free
avenue is constantly left, in which it is a crime to stand, or even
to cross, unless for messengers sent from the one to the other. The
old general dismounted at the door of the tent; and though I saw he
perceived us, and was always at other times most courteous, he passed
us without taking the least notice, and entered the tent of the king.
Although my place in the household gave me free access to wherever the
king was, I did not choose, at that time, to enter the back tent, and
place myself behind his chair, as I might have done; I rather thought
it better to go to the tent of Ozoro Esther, where I was sure at least
of getting a good breakfast: Nor was I disappointed. As soon as I
shewed myself at the door of the tent of that princess, who was lying
upon a sofa, the moment she cast her eyes upon me, cried out, There is
Yagoube! there is the man I wanted! The tent was cleared of all but
her women, and she then began to enumerate of several complaints which
she thought, before the end of the campaign, would carry her to her
grave. It was easy to see they were of the slightest kind, though it
would not have been agreeable to have told her so, for she loved to be
thought ill, to be attended, and flattered; she was, however, in these
circumstances, so perfectly good, so conversable, so elegant in all her
manners, that her physician would have been tempted to wish never to
see her well.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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