Immediately after this we shut our doors; and our fire-arms being cleaned, loaded, and primed, we resolved to abide the issue of this bad affair in the best manner possible, and live or die together. One thing, however, diverted us: One of the large blunderbusses being accidentally laid across the door, this veteran soldier started back at the sight of it, and, although the muzzle was pointed far from him, would not enter till the piece was removed, and placed at a considerable distance from him. As we saw things were growing to a crisis, we became every hour more impatient for the arrival of relief, either from Ras el Feel or Sennaar. On the 1st of April came a servant from the Shekh of Beyla, and delivered a message to Fidele: What it was I know not; but about noon he came to inquire after us, and pay us a visit. All this time Fidele had kept our arrival at Teawa a secret from the Shekh of Beyla; but the people, who frequented the market of Teawa, having told their governor that they had seen strangers there, he all at once suspected the truth, and dispatched a confidential servant to Fidele, under a shew of business, to inquire whether we were those strangers. An explanation immediately followed upon his coming to my house, and especially concerning the message the Shekh of Beyla had received from the Shekh of Atbara, that we were gone by Kuara down the Dendar. He said, that his master either had sent, or intended to send, advice of this to my servant at Sennaar, who, expecting us no longer by Teawa, would neither come himself, nor seek a king's servant to conduct us from hence, but would seek measures for our safety the other way, or wait at Sennaar, expecting our arrival daily; for the way from Kuara was through a number of outlawed, or banditti Arabs, so that it was not in the power of the government of Sennaar, if ever so well inclined, to conduct us one step in safety on that road till we should be within two days journey of Sennaar. The servant therefore proposed, that he should return instantly to Beyla, (as he did that night) and that his master should send a messenger on a dromedary express to Sennaar, to inform Hagi Belal of our situation, and procure immediate relief. He promised further, that his master should send a Moullah, (or man of extraordinary holiness and learning) in whose presence Shekh Fidele would not dare to proceed to extremities, as this was a man universally esteemed, and of great weight and reputation at Sennaar, both with Abou Calec and Adelan, as well as throughout Atbara.