a voyage to abyssinia-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　Nothing　but　a　signal　interposition　of　Providence　could　have　preserved　us　from　being　bitten　by　them；　or　perishing　either　by　weariness　or　thirst；　for　sometimes　we　were　a　long　time　without　water；　and　had　nothing　to　support　our　strength　in　this　fatigue　but　a　little　honey；　and　a　small　piece　of　cows'　flesh　dried　in　the　sun。　Thus　we　travelled　on　for　many　days；　scarce　allowing　ourselves　any　rest；　till　we　came　to　a　channel　or　hollow　worn　in　the　mountains　by　the　winter　torrents；　here　we　found　some　coolness；　and　good　water；　a　blessing　we　enjoyed　for　three　days；　down　this　channel　all　the　winter　runs　a　great　river　which　is　dried　up　in　the　heats；　or　to　speak　more　properly；　hides　itself　under　ground。　　We　walked　along　its　side；　sometimes　seven　or　eight　leagues　without　seeing　any　water；　and　then　we　found　it　rising　out　of　the　ground；　at　which　places　we　never　failed　to　drink　as　much　as　we　could；　and　fill　our　bottles。

In　our　march；　there　fell　out　an　unlucky　accident；　which；　however；　did　not　prove　of　the　bad　consequence　it　might　have　done。　　The　master　of　our　camels　was　an　old　Mohammedan；　who　had　conceived　an　opinion　that　it　was　an　act　of　merit　to　do　us　all　the　mischief　he　could；　and　in　pursuance　of　his　notion；　made　it　his　chief　employment　to　steal　everything　he　could　lay　hold　on；　his　piety　even　transported　him　so　far；　that　one　morning　he　stole　and　hid　the　cords　of　our　tents。　　The　patriarch　who　saw　him　at　the　work　charged　him　with　it；　and　upon　his　denial；　showed　him　the　end　of　the　cord　hanging　from　under　the　saddle　of　one　of　his　camels。　　Upon　this　we　went　to　seize　them；　but　were　opposed　by　him　and　the　rest　of　the　drivers；　who　set　themselves　in　a　posture　of　opposition　with　their　daggers。　　Our　soldiers　had　recourse　to　their　muskets；　and　four　of　them　putting　the　mouths　of　their　pieces　to　the　heads　of　some　of　the　most　obstinate　and　turbulent；　struck　them　with　such　a　terror；　that　all　the　clamour　was　stilled　in　an　instant；　none　received　any　hurt　but　the　Moor　who　had　been　the　occasion　of　the　tumult。　　He　was　knocked　down　by　one　of　our　soldiers；　who　had　cut　his　throat　but　that　the　fathers　prevented　it：　　he　then　restored　the　cords；　and　was　more　tractable　ever　after。　　In　all　my　dealings　with　the　Moors；　I　have　always　discovered　in　them　an　ill…　natured　cowardice；　which　makes　them　insupportably　insolent　if　you　show　them　the　least　respect；　and　easily　reduced　to　reasonable　terms　when　you　treat　them　with　a　high　hand。

After　a　march　of　some　days　we　came　to　an　opening　between　the　mountains；　the　only　passage　out　of　Dancali　into　Abyssinia。　　Heaven　seems　to　have　made　this　place　on　purpose　for　the　repose　of　weary　travellers；　who　here　exchange　the　tortures　of　parching　thirst；　burning　sands；　and　a　sultry　climate；　for　the　pleasures　of　shady　trees；　the　refreshment　of　a　clear　stream；　and　the　luxury　of　a　cooling　breeze。　　We　arrived　at　this　happy　place　about　noon；　and　the　next　day　at　evening　left　those　fanning　winds；　and　woods　flourishing　with　unfading　verdure；　for　the　dismal　barrenness　of　the　vast　uninhabitable　plains；　from　which　Abyssinia　is　supplied　with　salt。　These　plains　are　surrounded　with　high　mountains；　continually　covered　with　thick　clouds　which　the　sun　draws　from　the　lakes　that　are　here；　from　which　the　water　runs　down　into　the　plain；　and　is　there　congealed　into　salt。　　Nothing　can　be　more　curious　than　to　see　the　channels　and　aqueducts　that　nature　has　formed　in　this　hard　rock；　so　exact　and　of　such　admirable　contrivance；　that　they　seem　to　be　the　work　of　men。　　To　this　place　caravans　of　Abyssinia　are　continually　resorting；　to　carry　salt　into　all　parts　of　the　empire；　which　they　set　a　great　value　upon；　and　which　in　their　country　is　of　the　same　use　as　money。　　The　superstitious　Abyssins　imagine　that　the　cavities　of　the　mountains　are　inhabited　by　evil　spirits　which　appear　in　different　shapes；　calling　those　that　pass　by　their　names　as　in　a　familiar　acquaintance；　who；　if　they　go　to　them；　are　never　seen　afterwards。　　This　relation　was　confirmed　by　the　Moorish　officer　who　came　with　us；　who；　as　he　said；　had　lost　a　servant　in　that　manner：　the　man　certainly　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Galles；　who　lurk　in　those　dark　retreats；　cut　the　throats　of　the　merchants；　and　carry　off　their　effects。

The　heat　making　it　impossible　to　travel　through　this　plain　in　the　day…time；　we　set　out　in　the　evening；　and　in　the　night　lost　our　way。　It　is　very　dangerous　to　go　through　this　place；　for　there　are　no　marks　of　the　right　road；　but　some　heaps　of　salt；　which　we　could　not　see。　　Our　camel　drivers　getting　together　to　consult　on　this　occasion；　we　suspected　they　had　some　ill　design　in　hand；　and　got　ready　our　weapons；　they　perceived　our　apprehensions；　and　set　us　at　ease　by　letting　us　know　the　reason　of　their　consultation。　Travelling　hard　all　night；　we　found　ourselves　next　morning　past　the　plain；　but　the　road　we　were　in　was　not　more　commodious；　the　points　of　the　rocks　pierced　our　feet；　to　increase　our　perplexities　we　were　alarmed　with　the　approach　of　an　armed　troop；　which　our　fear　immediately　suggested　to　be　the　Galles；　who　chiefly　beset　these　passes　of　the　mountains；　we　put　ourselves　on　the　defensive；　and　expected　them；　whom；　upon　a　more　exact　examination；　we　found　to　be　only　a　caravan　of　merchants　come　as　usual　to　fetch　salt。



Chapter　VIII



They　lose　their　way；　are　in　continual　apprehensions　of　the　Galles。　They　come　to　Duan；　and　settle　in　Abyssinia。


About　nine　the　next　morning　we　came　to　the　end　of　this　toilsome　and　rugged　path；　where　the　way　divided　into　two；　yet　both　led　to　a　well；　the　only　one　that　was　found　in　our　journey。　　A　Moor　with　three　others　took　the　shortest；　without　directing　us　to　follow　him；　so　we　marched　forwards　we　knew　not　whither；　through　woods　and　over　rocks；　without　sleep　or　any　other　refreshment：　　at　noon　the　next　day　we　discovered　that　we　were　near　the　field　of　salt。　　Our　affliction　and　distress　is　not　to　be　expressed；　we　were　all　fainting　with　heat　and　weariness；　and　two　of　the　patriarch's　servants　were　upon　the　point　of　dying　for　want　of　water。　　None　of　us　had　any　but　a　Moor；　who　could　not　be　prevailed　upon　to　part　with　it　at　less　than　the　weight　in　gold；　we　got　some　from　him　at　last；　and　endeavoured　to　revive　the　two　servants；　while　part　of　us　went　to　look　for　a　guide　that　might　put　us　in　the　right　way。　　The　Moors　who　had　arrived　at　the　well；　rightly　guessing　that　we　were　lost；　sent　one　of　their　company　to　look　for　us；　whom　we　heard　shouting　in　the　woods；　but　durst　make　no　answer　for　fear　of　the　Galles。　　At　length　he　found　us；　and　conducted　us　to　the　rest；　we　instantly　forgot　our　past　calamities；　and　had　no　other　care　than　to　recover　the　patriarch's　attendants。　　We　did　not　give　them　a　full　draught　at　first；　but　poured　in　the　water　by　drops；　to　moisten　their　mouths　and　throats；　which　were　extremely　swelled：　by　this　caution　they　were　soon　well。　　We　then　fell　to　eating　and　drinking；　and　though　we　had　nothing　but　our　ordinary　repast　of　honey　and　dried　flesh；　thought　we　never　had　regaled　more　pleasantly　in　our　lives。

We　durst　not　stay　long　in　this　place　for　fear　of　the　Galles；　who　lay　their　ambushes　more　particularly　near　this　well；　by　which　all　caravans　must　necessarily　pass。　　Our　apprehensions　were　very　much　increased　by　our　suspicion　of　the　camel…drivers；　who；　as　we