I was very sensible that I was playing a farce upon which a very great deal depended. Though in these countries the daughters of ministers and great men are given to inferiors, this is only with a view of having them provided for; they are spies upon their husbands, and keep up the consequence of their birth in their husband's house even after they are married, and this I understood was precisely the case with Adelan's daughter. Notwithstanding the bad character I had of Fidele, I knew he durst not rob me, without murdering me also; and I was sure he did not dare to do either, if it was once known that I was arrived in the dominions of Sennaar; and this his wife could inform Adelan her father of, whenever she pleased. This was then the first step towards safety.
I shall not trouble my reader with a repetition of my medical inquiries, nor the complaints of ladies, which are properly secrets with me, though at the distance of Atbara. The ipecacuanha operation gave high satisfaction. It was now happily terminated; but, whilst it was administering, I observed the figure, who till then appeared covered, had unveiled her face and head down to her shoulders; and soon after one of the slaves, her attendant, as in play, pulled off the remaining part of the veil that covered her. I was astonished at the sight of so much beauty. Her hair, which was not woolly, but long, and in great quantity, was braided and twisted round like a crown upon the top of her head, ornamented with beads, and the small white Guinea-shells, commonly known here by the name of blackamoor's teeth. She had plain rings of gold in her ears, and four rows of gold chain about her neck, to which was hung a number of sequins pierced; the rest of her dress was a blue shift, which hung loosely about her, and covered her down to her feet, though it was not very rigorously nor very closely disposed all below her neck. She was the tallest of the middle size, and not yet fifteen years of age; her whole features faultless; they might have served alone for the study of a painter all his life, if he was in search of absolute beauty. Her mother being an Arab of the tribe of Jehaina, her complexion was a dark brown. Such was the beautiful Aiscach, daughter of the eldest of the ladies that I was then attending.
Neither sickness nor medicine could prevent those who were present from discovering plainly how exceedingly I was disconcerted. Adelan's daughter said to me, You will think nothing of the women in Atbara, after so long a stay in Abyssinia; but the women in Europe, they say, are so white, that they are the handsomest of all. I never was less persuaded of that truth than at present, said I; and I see perfectly you observe it. "Aye, aye, says her mother, and so we do; if Aiscach was ill, you would take better care of her than of either of us." "Pardon me, said I, Madam; if the beautiful Aiscach was ill, I feel I should myself be so much affected as not to be able to attend her at all."
Aiscach made the most gracious inclination with her head, to shew she was perfectly sensible of the compliment. The women laughed out aloud. "Send for Yasine and your horse from Ras el Feel, cries a voice behind me laughing, but speaking perfect good Amharic; take her away, and carry her back with you to Abyssinia, I'll go with you with all my heart, and so will she, I swear to you." I turned with surprise to the person that spoke the language, which I had not heard spoken of late. "She is a poor Christian slave, says the eldest of Fidele's wives, taken by the Jehaina when the Mek Baady was defeated in his return to Sennaar; she is a foolish, but merry creature, as you see." All our diet and regimen being settled, I took my leave, and was attended to the door by the Abyssinian slave and Aiscach, who seemed to be very much her friend. When she came to the outer door, she covered herself again with her veil, from head to foot, as before, saying, in a low voice, Shall we not see you to-morrow?
On the 31st of March, Fidele again insisted upon undergoing another experiment of the ipecacuanha. I waited upon him at the same hour as before, curious to know what he would say to me about his wives. Upon my inquiring after them, he only answered, that they were well; and when coffee was brought, before I went away, told me, that he knew perfectly well, from Ras el Feel, that, when I set out from thence, I had disposed, in various boxes and chests, (which I pretended were instruments) 2000 ounces of gold, besides variety of cloth of gold, and other valuable things for presents; and as all this was now in his power, he could not think me mad enough to refuse him 500 piastres, which were only 50 of these ounces I carried with me; that, if I gave them to him civilly, he would forward me to Sennaar in two days; if not, I was in his hands, and he could easily take the whole by force, and after dispose of me as he pleased.
"Well done! out with it! said I; this is but what I knew long to be in your heart. But let me set you right; I have not three ounces of gold in all my possession. It is of no use to me in my country; take all my cases and boxes, and search them; the gold that you find there I freely give you, and without reserve. As for the cloth of gold, which I have, it is a present from the king of Abyssinia to the king of Sennaar, to be delivered with his letter. I have likewise a present to Shekh Adelan, with a letter to him; and some other trifles for Sennaar, presents to people in government: look at them; if you think they are too great, apply to your own use what part of them you please, and account with the king and Adelan for what you take from them, with your reason for so doing. The little money I may want at Sennaar, Hagi Belal, Metical Aga's servant from Mecca, will furnish me with, and, upon my letter, will take payment for the amount from my countrymen on board the East India ships at Jidda. As for force, do not deceive yourself; if all those cases were gold it never would be in your power to open one of them. Do not think that I am a girl or a child; consider the danger and difficulties I have passed, under God's protection only, and by my own force and courage: I am well armed, and have brave men about me, so try your force when you please. I dare say you will keep yourself out of danger, to give an account of your brave exploit to the king of Sennaar afterwards." I then arose, and said, "Good evening." The Shekh called after me to stay. I said, "Another time;" and immediately left him.
We had hitherto been supplied plentifully with provisions from the Shekh's house once a-day. When I came home at night, I found that after Magrib, which is after sun-set, a large store had been sent by the ladies from the Shekh's house, as acknowledgements for the attention I had paid them; but no particular message, except than that they had been exceedingly well after their medicines, and hoped I would not abandon them, but see them again. A Greek servant of mine, who knew perfectly their customs, had answered, that I certainly would wait upon them when the Shekh should desire me so to do.
The weather was extremely hot, and people, avoiding sun-shine of the day, generally sat up the whole of the night, enjoying the only hours when it was possible to breathe freely. It was about eleven o'clock at night, when the old Kaiya, whom I never saw but upon these occasions, came to me for coffee, of which he drank at least twenty dishes every visit. He appeared at first very moderate, and, as he pretended, a friend. But immediately afterwards, being seated, and assuming a new kind of air and tone of voice, he reproved me roundly for my behaviour to the Shekh that day. He extolled him highly for his generosity, courage, and his great interest at Sennaar from his father's merits, and from his having married Shekh Adelan's daughter. He said, it was the greatest presumption, in a set of infidels like us, to behave in the manner we had done to Fidele that day. "Hagi Soliman, answered I, you are an old man; if years have not given you wisdom, your journey to Mecca, and conversation with persons of all nations there, should at least have taught you an appearance of it, which, at this time, you have not. I am here, immediately under the protection of the sherriffe of Mecca, the chief of your religion, and Metical Aga his minister. I have letters from the king of Abyssinia to your king of Sennaar, requesting only, under the faith of nations, to pass through your country in my way to Cairo, to rejoin Ali Bey, whose physician I am, and in whose hands at least three thousand subjects of Sennaar, and their effects, are at this moment. I say to you now, as I did to your master in the morning, that he cannot either rob or murder me at Teawa without all your nation being responsible for it, wherever they shall go. But I am not a sheep, or a lamb, to be spoiled of my goods, or robbed of my life, without defending myself to the utmost; and I tell you, for your proper instruction, that there are probably now at Sennaar, people from the king of Abyssinia, complaining of my being detained here, and demanding justice."
He seemed to pay no attention to this threat. He did not think it possible that I could have had any communication with Ras el Feel since I came to Teawa, but declared, that, as my particular friend, he had calmed the Shekh's wrath, and obliged him to promise, that, for 2000 piastres, he would dispatch me in two days to Sennaar. Indeed, Hagi Soliman, said I, I have not 20 piastres in the world to give either him or you, nor would I give them if I had them. The Shekh may take all that I have by force, and is welcome to try the experiment. You, as his friend and soldier, may command the party, if you please; but I am resolved, were he willing, never to leave Teawa till I depart under the conduct of another man than one of your or of Shekh Fidele's chusing. Upon my saying this, he arose, shook the bosom of his cloak, and said, he was sorry for it; but he washed his hands of all the consequences.