CHAP. XXXVIII. THE ADVENTURES OF PEKUAH CONTI W NUED. WE wandered about in this man ner for fome weeks, whether, as our chief pretended, for my gratification, or as I rather fufpected, for fome convenience of his own. I endeavoured to appear contented where fullennefs and refentment would have been of no ufe, and that endeavour conduced much to the calmnefs of my mind; but my heart was always with Nekayah, and the troubles of the night much overbalanced the amusements of the day. My women, who threw all their cares upon their mistress, fet their minds at eafe from the time when they faw me treated with refpect, and gave themselves themselves up to the incidental alleviations of our fatigue without folicitude or forrow. I was pleafed with their pleasure, and animated with their confidence. My condition had loft much of its terrour, fince I found that the Arab ranged the country merely to get riches. Avarice is an uniform and tractable vice: other intellectual diftempers are different in different conftitutions of mind; that which fooths the pride of one will offend the pride of another; but to the favour of the covetous there is a ready way; bring money and nothing is denied. "At laft we came to the dwelling of our chief, a strong and spacious house built with ftone in an island of the Nile, which lies, as I was told, under the tropick. "Lady, faid the Arab, you shall reft after your journey a few weeks in this this place, where you are to confider yourself as fovereign. My occupation is war: I have therefore chofen this obfcure refidence, from which I can iffue unexpected, and to which I can retire unperfued. You may now repofe in fecurity: here are few pleasures, but here is no danger." He then led me into the inner apartments, and feating me on the richest couch, bowed to the ground. His women, who confidered me as a rival, looked on me with malignity; but being foon informed that I was a great lady detained only for my ransom, they began to vie with each other in obfequioufness and reverence. Being again comforted with new affurances of speedy liberty, I was for fome days diverted from impatience by the novelty of the place. The turrets overlooked the country to a great dif tance, tance, and afforded a view of many windings of the ftream. In the day I wandered from one place to another, as the course of the fun varied the fplendour of the profpect, and faw many things which I had never feen before. The crocodiles and river-horses are common in this unpeopled region, and I often looked upon them with terrour, though I knew that they could not hurt For fome time I expected to fee mermaids and tritons, which, as Imlac has told me, the European travellers have stationed in the Nile, but no fuch beings ever appeared, and the Arab, when I inquired after them, laughed at my credulity. me. "At night the Arab always attended me to a tower fet apart for celeftial obfervations, where he endeavoured to teach me the names and courses of the ftars. ftars. I had no great inclination to this ftudy, but an appearance of attention was neceffary to please my inftructor, who valued himself for his fkill; and, in a little while, I found fome employment requifite to beguile the tediousness of time, which was to be paffed always amidst the fame objects. I was weary of looking in the morning on things from which I had turned away weary in the evening: I therefore was at last willing to observe the ftars rather than do nothing, but could not always compofe my thoughts, and was very often thinking on Nekayah, when others ima gined me contemplating the fky. Soon after the Arab went upon another expedition, and then my only pleasure was to talk with my maids about the accident by which we were carried away, and |