THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 15-3 



the Pythagorean prejudices agamft that plant were forgot- 



ten. 



It was on the i6th of April 1520 that Don Roderigo dc 

 Lima landed in AbyfTmia ; and it was the i6th of Odlober 

 of the fame year when he arrived within light of the king's 

 camp, diftant about three miles. The king had advanced, 

 as hath been faid, into Fatigar, about twenty-five miles from 

 the firft fair in the kingdom of Adel, and fomething lefs 

 than two hundred from the port of Zeyla. The ambaiTador, 

 after fo painful a journey, expefted an immediate admiflion 

 into the king's prefcnce. Inftead of which, a great officei\ 

 called the Hadug Ras^^ which is chief or commander of the 

 afles, was fent to carry him three miles farther diftant, 

 where they ordered him to pitch his tent, and five years paiTed 

 in the embafly afterwards before he procured his difmifilon. 



Alvarez accounts very lamely for this prodigious inter- 

 val of time ; and, excepting the celebration of the Epiphany, 

 he does not mention one remarkable occurrence in the 

 whole of this period. One would imagine their ftay had 

 not been above a month, and that one converfation only 

 pafled upon bufinefs, which I fhall here fet down as a fpe- 

 cimen of the humour the parties were in the one with the 

 other. 



The king carried the ambaflador to fee the church 

 Mecana Selafl"e, the church of the Trinity, which was then 

 repairing, where many of the kings had been buried while 



VoL.n. U the 



*• TKis is-a name of humility. He-is a great officer, and has no care or charge of afe. 



