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CHAPTER XVII.

KIND RECEPTION AT ASSOUAN-ARRIVAL AT CAIRO-TRANSACTIONS WITH THE BEY THERE-LANDS AT MARSEILLES.

WITHOUT Congratulating each other on their escape and safe arrival, Bruce's companions with one accord ran to the Nile to drink; though, in the course of the journey, they had already seen the dreadful consequences of intemperance in drinking water. Bruce sat down under the shade of some palm-trees. It was very hot, and he fell into a profound sleep. But Hagi Ismael, who, neither sleepy nor thirsty, was exceedingly hungry, had gone into the town in search of food. He had not proceeded far before his green turban and ragged appearance struck some brother janizaries who met him; one of whom asked him what he was doing, and where he had come from? Ismael, in a violent passion, and broken Arabic, exclaimed, that he was a janizary of Cairo,-had come last from hell-and that he had walked through a desert of fire and flames.

The soldier, who heard him talk in this incoherent, raving tone, insisted that he should accompany him to the Aga-the very thing that Ismael wanted. He only desired time to acquaint his companions. Have you companions,' says the soldier, from such a country?' Companions!' says Ismael; "what the devil! do you imagine I came this journey alone?'

Go,' says

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Ismael, to the palm-trees, and when you find the tallest man you ever saw in your life, more ragged and dirty than I am, call him Yagoube, and desire him to come along with you to the Aga.'

The soldier obeyed, and accordingly found Bruce still reclining at the root of the palm-tree. 'A dulness and insensibility,' says Bruce, an universal relaxation of spirits which I cannot describe, a kind of stupor or palsy of the mind had overtaken me, almost to a deprivation of understanding. I found in myself a kind of stupidity, and want of power to reflect upon what had passed. I seemed to be as if awakened from a dream, when the senses are yet half asleep, and we only begin to doubt whether what has before passed in thought is real or not. The dangers that I was just now delivered from made no impression upon my mind; and what more and more convinces me I was for a time not in my perfect senses, is, that I found in myself a hard-heartedness, without the least inclination to be thankful for that signal deliverance which I had just now experienced.'

From this stupor he was awakened by the arrival of the soldier, who cried out at some distance, 'You must come to the Aga, to the castle, as fast as you can; the Turk is gone before you.' 'It will not be very fast, if we even should do that,' said Bruce; the Turk has ridden two days on a camel, and I have walked on foot, and do not know at present if I can walk at all.' He then endeavoured to rise and stand upright, but it was with great pain and difficulty.

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The Turk and the Greeks were clothed no bet

ter than Bruce; Ismael and Michael had in their hands two monstrous blunderbusses, and the whole town crowded after them while they walked to the castle. The Aga was struck dumb on their entering the room, and observed to Bruce, that he thought him full a foot taller than any man he had ever seen in his life.

After a short conversation, the Aga asked for his letters and firman. Bruce told him, that he had left them with his baggage and dead camels at Saffieha, and he asked the favour of fresh camels that he might go and fetch his papers. • God forbid,' said the Aga, I should ever suffer you to do so mad an action! You are come hither by a thousand miracles, and after this, will you tempt God, and go back? We shall take it for granted what those papers contain. You will have no need of a firman between this and Cairo. 'I am,' replied Bruce, a servant of the king of England, travelling, by his order, and for my own and my countrymen's information; and I had rather risk my life twenty times, than lose the papers I had left in the desert.' ' Go in peace,' said the Aga, eat and sleep. Carry them,' he said, speaking to his attendants, to the house of the Schourbatchie.'

They very shortly received from the Aga about fifty loaves of fine wheat bread, and several large dishes of dressed meat; but the smell of these last no sooner reached Bruce than he fainted, and fell upon the floor. He made several trials afterwards, with no better success, for the first two days; but his stomach was so weakened by ex

cessive heat and fatigue, that he could not reconcile himself to any sort of food but toasted bread and coffee.

After staying at Syene six days, Bruce obtained dromedaries, and, retracing his steps into the desert for forty miles, had at last the indescribable satisfaction to find his quadrant and the whole of his baggage. By them were the bodies of the slaughtered camels, a small part of one of them having been torn by the haddaya, or kite.

Bruce now closed his travels through the desert by discharging the debts he had contracted in it. He recompensed Idris Welled Hamran, the Hybeer, for his faithful services. He then made Idris choose for himself a good camel, clothed him, and gave him dresses for his two wives, with a load of dora. The poor fellow, thus enriched, departed with tears in his eyes, offering to go back and deliver up what Bruce had given him to his family, and return and follow him as a servant wherever he should go. But Bruce had no longer any occasion for his services; indeed he could have well reached Syene without him, yet, had any accident happened in the desert to his other guide, his prudent precaution in securing this man would have become very evident. But it was his system always to provide for accidents, and it was by this sensible conduct, as well as by his intimate knowledge of hunan nature, that he had managed to reach Syene in safety.

To raise Bruce's character by trampling on the reputation of his fellow-travellers would be an unworthy jealousy, in which we should be very sorry to indulge; yet the proper mode of penetrating Africa

is a problem of such vital importance to those who may hereafter attempt it, that we will not refrain from observing what a very remarkable difference there is between the manner in which Bruce and Burckhardt travelled between Egypt and Nubia. The former possessed the magic art of commanding respect, and his behaviour and the treatment which he received, it is not necessary to recapitulate.

Burckhardt's resolution was unconquerable, and his patience in the desert was almost equal to that of the camel. Science had never a more faithful servant, but he neglected to seek information by giving it, and the disguise under which he travelled concealed not only his person but his mind. All civilized men, from the philosopher down to the mountebank, carry with them funds either of instruction or amusement; and the old fable of the Basket-maker explains how possible it is for any one to make himself, at least, useful to uncivilized tribes; but of these funds Burckhardt did not avail himself, and a few extracts from his travels will show the consequences.

'I gave out,' he says, 'I was in search of a cousin.' The son of my old friend of Daraoa, to whom I had been most particularly recommended by his father, went so far as once to spit in my face in the public market-place.' 'Indeed I never met any of these Egyptians in the streets without receiving some insulting language from them, of which had I taken notice, they would, no doubt, have carried me before the Mek.' 'One of the slaves of Edris, to whom I had already made some little presents, tore my shirt to pieces, be