THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 527 



extirpation of the race of Solomon. Accordingly (he fur- 

 prifed the rock Damo, and flew the whole princes there, to 

 the number, it is faid, of about 400. 



Some nobles of Amhara, upon the firfl news of the cataf- 

 trophe at Damo, conveyed the infant king Del Naad, now 

 the only remaining prince of his race, into the powerful 

 and loyal province of Shoa, and by this means the royal 

 family was preferved to be again reftored. Judith took 

 pofTeffion of the throne in defiance of the law of the queen 

 of Saba, by this the firfl interruption of the fucceflion in the 

 line of Solomon, and, contrary to what might have been ex- 

 pected from the violent means flie had ufed to acquire the 

 crown, fhe not only enjoyed it herfelf during a long reign of 

 40 years, but tranfmitted it alfo to five of her poflerity, all of 

 them barbarous names, originating probably in Lafta: Thefe 

 are faid to be, 



Totadem, 



Jan Shum, 



Garima Shum, 



Harbai, 



Marari, 



Authors, as well Abyflinian as European, have differed 

 widely about the duration of thefe reigns. All that the 

 Abyflinians are agreed upon is, that this whole period was 

 one fcene of murder, violence, and oppreflion. 



Judith and her dependents were fucceeded by relations 

 of their own, a noble family of Lafta. The hiftory of this 

 revolution, or caufe of it, are loft and unknown in the conn-- 

 try, and therefore vainly fought after elfewhere. What we 



4, know 



