THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 295 



Hires, fuppofed to be concealed in the mountains, are the 

 objeds of the fearch of the AbyiFinians to this day. 



The children of thofe that were flain were fold for flaves 

 By the king ; and all the Falalha in Dembea, in the low 

 countries immediately in the king's power, were ordered 

 upon pain of death to renounce their religion, and be bap- 

 tifed. To this they confented, feeing there was no reme- 

 dy ; and the king unwifcly imagined, that he had extin- 

 guiflied, by one blow, the religion which was that of his 

 country long beforeChriftianity,by the unwarrantable butch- 

 ery of a number of people whom he had furprifed hving in 

 fecurity under the aflurance of peace. Many of them were 

 baptifed accordingly, and they were all ordered to plow 

 and harrow upon the fabbath-day. 



The king next fent orders to Sela Chriflos, and Refla- 

 governor of Gojam, that, alTembhng their troops, they 

 lliould transfer the war into Bizamo, a province on the 

 fouth fide of the Nile, called alfo in the books a kingdom. 

 Through this lies the road of the merchants leading to Na,- 

 rca. It is inhabited by feveral clans of Pagans, which to- 

 gether make the great divifion of thefe nations into Boren, , 

 and Bertuma Galia *. 



The army pafTed the Nile, laying wafte the whole coun- 

 try, driving off the cattle, coUedling the women and chil- 

 dren as flaves, and putting all the men to the fword ; with- 

 out thefe people, though they make conftant inroads into 



3 Gojam, 



*The words, Boren, and Bertuma Galla, have no meaning in the Ethiopic. 



