a voyage to abyssinia-第30部分

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by　any　before：　　the　darkness　of　the　night　and　the　thickness　of　the　shade　spread　a　kind　of　horror　round　us；　our　gloomy　journey　was　still　more　incommoded　by　the　brambles　and　thorns；　which　tore　our　hands；　amidst　all　these　difficulties　I　applied　myself　to　the　Almighty；　praying　him　to　preserve　us　from　those　dangers　which　we　endeavoured　to　avoid；　and　to　deliver　us　from　those　to　which　our　flight　exposed　us。　　Thus　we　travelled　all　night；　till　eight　next　morning；　without　taking　either　rest　or　food；　then；　imagining　ourselves　secure；　we　made　us　some　cakes　of　barley…meal　and　water；　which　we　thought　a　feast。

We　had　a　dispute　with　our　guides；　who　though　they　had　bargained　to　conduct　us　for　an　ounce　of　gold；　yet　when　they　saw　us　so　entangled　in　the　intricacies　of　the　wood　that　we　could　not　possibly　get　out　without　their　direction；　demanded　seven　ounces　of　gold；　a　mule；　and　a　little　tent　which　we　had；　after　a　long　dispute　we　were　forced　to　come　to　their　terms。　　We　continued　to　travel　all　night；　and　to　hide　ourselves　in　the　woods　all　day：　　and　here　it　was　that　we　met　the　three　hundred　elephants　I　spoke　of　before。　　We　made　long　marches；　travelling　without　any　halt　from　four　in　the　afternoon　to　eight　in　the　morning。

Arriving　at　a　valley　where　travellers　seldom　escape　being　plundered；　we　were　obliged　to　double　our　pace；　and　were　so　happy　as　to　pass　it　without　meeting　with　any　misfortune；　except　that　we　heard　a　bird　sing　on　our　left　handa　certain　presage　among　these　people　of　some　great　calamity　at　hand。　　As　there　is　no　reasoning　them　out　of　superstition；　I　knew　no　way　of　encouraging　them　to　go　forward　but　what　I　had　already　made　use　of　on　the　same　occasion；　assuring　them　that　I　heard　one　at　the　same　time　on　the　right。　　They　were　happily　so　credulous　as　to　take　my　word；　and　we　went　on　till　we　came　to　a　well；　where　we　stayed　awhile　to　refresh　ourselves。　　Setting　out　again　in　the　evening；　we　passed　so　near　a　village　where　these　robbers　had　retreated　that　the　dogs　barked　after　us。　　Next　morning　we　joined　the　fathers；　who　waited　for　us。　　After　we　had　rested　ourselves　some　time　in　that　mountain；　we　resolved　to　separate　and　go　two　and　two；　to　seek　for　a　more　convenient　place　where　we　might　hide　ourselves。　　We　had　not　gone　far　before　we　were　surrounded　by　a　troop　of　robbers；　with　whom；　by　the　interest　of　some　of　the　natives　who　had　joined　themselves　to　our　caravan；　we　came　to　a　composition；　giving　them　part　of　our　goods　to　permit　us　to　carry　away　the　rest；　and　after　this　troublesome　adventure　arrived　at　a　place　something　more　commodious　than　that　which　we　had　quitted；　where　we　met　with　bread；　but　of　so　pernicious　a　quality　that；　after　having　ate　it；　we　were　intoxicated　to　so　great　a　degree　that　one　of　my　friends；　seeing　me　so　disordered；　congratulated　my　good　fortune　of　having　met　with　such　good　wine；　and　was　surprised　when　I　gave　him　an　account　of　the　whole　affair。　　He　then　offered　me　some　curdled　milk；　very　sour；　with　barley…meal；　which　we　boiled；　and　thought　it　the　best　entertainment　we　had　met　with　a　long　time。



Chapter　XIV



They　are　betrayed　into　the　hands　of　the　Turks；　are　detained　awhile　at　Mazna；　are　threatened　by　the　Bassa　of　Suaquem。　　They　agree　for　their　ransom；　and　are　part　of　them　dismissed。


Some　time　after；　we　received　news　that　we　should　prepare　ourselves　to　serve　the　Turksa　message　which　filled　us　with　surprise；　it　having　never　been　known　that　one　of　these　lords　had　ever　abandoned　any　whom　he　had　taken　under　his　protection；　and　it　is；　on　the　contrary；　one　of　the　highest　points　of　honour　amongst　them　to　risk　their　fortunes　and　their　lives　in　the　defence　of　their　dependants　who　have　implored　their　protection。　　But　neither　law　nor　justice　was　of　any　advantage　to　us；　and　the　customs　of　the　country　were　doomed　to　be　broken　when　they　would　have　contributed　to　our　security。

We　were　obliged　to　march　in　the　extremity　of　the　hot　season；　and　had　certainly　perished　by　the　fatigue　had　we　not　entered　the　woods；　which　shaded　us　from　the　scorching　sun。　　The　day　before　our　arrival　at　the　place　where　we　were　to　be　delivered　to　the　Turks；　we　met　with　five　elephants；　that　pursued　us；　and　if　they　could　have　come　to　us　would　have　prevented　the　miseries　we　afterwards　endured；　but　God　had　decreed　otherwise。

On　the　morrow　we　came　to　the　banks　of　a　river；　where　we　found　fourscore　Turks　that　waited　for　us；　armed　with　muskets。　　They　let　us　rest　awhile；　and　then　put　us　into　the　hands　of　our　new　masters；　who；　setting　us　upon　camels；　conducted　us　to　Mazna。　　Their　commander；　seeming　to　be　touched　with　our　misfortunes；　treated　us　with　much　gentleness　and　humanity；　he　offered　us　coffee；　which　we　drank；　but　with　little　relish。　　We　came　next　day　to　Mazna；　in　so　wretched　a　condition　that　we　were　not　surprised　at　being　hooted　by　the　boys；　but　thought　ourselves　well　used　that　they　threw　no　stones　at　us。

As　soon　as　we　were　brought　hither；　all　we　had　was　taken　from　us；　and　we　were　carried　to　the　governor；　who　is　placed　there　by　the　Bassa　of　Suaquem。　　Having　been　told　by　the　Abyssins　that　we　had　carried　all　the　gold　out　of　Aethiopia；　they　searched　us　with　great　exactness；　but　found　nothing　except　two　chalices；　and　some　relics　of　so　little　value　that　we　redeemed　them　for　six　sequins。　　As　I　had　given　them　my　chalice　upon　their　first　demand；　they　did　not　search　me；　but　gave　us　to　understand　that　they　expected　to　find　something　of　greater　value；　which　either　we　must　have　hidden　or　the　Abyssins　must　have　imposed　on　them。　　They　left　us　the　rest　of　the　day　at　a　gentleman's　house；　who　was　our　friend；　from　whence　the　next　day　they　fetched　us　to　transport　us　to　the　island；　where　they　put　us　into　a　kind　of　prison；　with　a　view　of　terrifying　us　into　a　confession　of　the　place　where　we　had　hid　our　gold；　in　which；　however；　they　found　themselves　deceived。

But　I　had　here　another　affair　upon　my　hands　which　was　near　costing　me　dear。　　My　servant　had　been　taken　from　me　and　left　at　Mazna；　to　be　sold　to　the　Arabs。　　Being　advertised　by　him　of　the　danger　he　was　in；　I　laid　claim　to　him；　without　knowing　the　difficulties　which　this　way　of　proceeding　would　bring　upon　me。　　The　governor　sent　me　word　that　my　servant　should　be　restored　to　me　upon　payment　of　sixty　piastres；　and　being　answered　by　me　that　I　had　not　a　penny　for　myself；　and　therefore　could　not　pay　sixty　piastres　to　redeem　my　servant；　he　informed　me　by　a　renegade　Jew；　who　negotiated　the　whole　affair；　that　either　I　must　produce　the　money　or　receive　a　hundred　blows　of　the　battoon。　　Knowing　that　those　orders　are　without　appeal；　and　always　punctually　executed；　I　prepared　myself　to　receive　the　correction　I　was　threatened　with；　but　unexpectedly　found　the　people　so　charitable　as　to　lend　me　the　money。　　By　several　other　threats　of　the　same　kind　they　drew　from　us　about　six　hundred　crowns。

On　the　24th　of　June　we　embarked　in　two　galleys　for　Suaquem；　where　the　bassa　resided。　　His　brother；　who　was　his　deputy　at　Mazna；　made　us　promise　before　we　went　that　we　would　not　mention　the　money　he　had　squeezed　from　us。　　The　season　was　not　very　proper　for　sailing；　and　our　provisions　were　but　short。　　In　a　little　time　we　began　to　feel　the　want　of　better　stores；　and　thought　ourselves　happy　in　meeting　with　a　gelve；　which；　though　small；　was　a　much　b