Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (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
The cadi then asked me, "If I knew when Hagiuge Magiuge was to come?"
Remembering my old learned friend at Teawa, I scarce could forbear
laughing. "I have no wish to know any thing about him, said I; I hope
those days are far off, and will not happen in my time." "What do your
books say concerning him? (says he, affecting a great look of wisdom)
Do they agree with ours?" "I don't know that, said I, till I hear
what is written in your books." "Hagiuge Magiuge, says he, are little
people, not so big as bees, or like the zimb, or fly of Sennaar,
that come in great swarms out of the earth, aye, in multitudes that
cannot be counted; two of their chiefs are to ride upon an ass, and
every hair of that ass is to be a pipe, and every pipe is to play
a different kind of music, and all that hear and follow them are
carried to hell." "I know them not, said I, and, in the name of the
Lord, I fear them not, were they twice as little as you say they
are, and twice as numerous. I trust in God I shall never be so fond
of music as to go to hell after an ass for all the tunes that he or
they can play." The king laughed violently. I rose to go away, for I
was heartily tired of the conversation. I whispered the Abyssinian
servant in Amharic, to ask when I should bring a trifle I had to offer
the king. He said, Not that night, as I should be tired, but desired
that I should now go home, and he would send me notice when to come.
I accordingly went away, and found a number of people in the street,
all having some taunt or affronting matter to say. I passed through
the great square before the palace, and could not help shuddering,
upon reflection, at what had happened in that spot to the unfortunate
M. du Roule and his companions, though under a protection which should
have secured them from all danger, every part of which I was then
unprovided with.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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