THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 59 



Grande, and fome of the Jefuits, lefs bigotted than him, have 

 afferted, that fuch a pracftice prevailed in the Abylfinian 

 church, to fhew its conformity with the church of Rome ; 

 which we fhall fee, however, contradi(5led ahnoll in every 

 prince's reign. 



The fecond thing I fhall obferve is, that there is no ground 

 for that prejudice, fo common in the writers concerning 

 this country, who fay that thefe people are Nomades, per- 

 petually roving about in tents. If they had ever fo little 

 reflected upon it, there is not a country in the world where 

 this is lefs polTible than in Abyffinia, a country abounding 

 with mountains, where every flat piece of ground is, once 

 a-day, during fix months rain, cut through by a number of 

 torrents, fweeping cattle, trees, and every thing irreiiftibly 

 before them ; where no field, unlefs it has fome declivity, 

 can be fown, nor even pafTcd over by a traveller, without 

 fome danger of being fwept away, during the hours of the 

 day when the rain is moft violent ; in fuch a country it would 

 be impoilible for 30 or 40,000 men to encamp from place to 

 place, and to fubfift; without fome permanent retreat. Ac- 

 cordingly they have towns and villages perched upon the 

 pinnacles of Iharp hills and rocks, and which are never 

 thought fafe if commanded by any ground above them ; 

 in thefe they remain, as we do in cities, all the rainy fcafon : 

 Nor is there a private perfon (not a foldier) who hath a tent 

 moj'e than in Britain. In the fair feafoi:i, the militaiy en- 

 camp in all direcflions crofs the country, eitlier to levy taxes, 

 or in fcarch of their enemy ; but nothing in tliis is particu- 

 lar toAbyfunia; in mofl parts of Africa and Afia thcv dA 

 the fame. 



H 2 T.«£ 



