THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 315 



tacliment to them, would have been great advantages in the 

 hands of the fathers. Every Abyffmian would have encou- 

 raged them at the beginning of this miffion ; and, if once 

 they had firmly ellablifhed themfelves in a country of fo 

 difficult accefs, they might have bid defiance to prince Faci- 

 lidas, and the perfecution that deilroyed die progrefs of the 

 Catholic faith in that reign. 



From Gonea, in fix days they came to the refidence of 

 Benero, the fovereign of the country ; fince the conqueft 

 and converfion under Melee Segued, he is called Shum. 

 The ambaflador and Fernandes were received by the Bene- 

 ro with an air of conllraint and coolncfs, though with ci- 

 vility. They found afterwards the caufe of this was the in- 

 finuation of a fchifmatic Abyflinian monk, then at the court 

 of that prince, who had told him that the errand of the am- 

 bafifador and miffionary to India was to bring Portuguefe 

 troops that way into Abyillnia, which would end in the de- 

 ftrudlion of Narea, if it did not begin with it. 



Terrified at a danger fo near, the Benero called a coun- 

 cil, in which it was refolved that the ambaflTador Ihould be 

 turned from the direft road into the kingdom of Bali, to a 

 much more inconvenient, longer, and dangerous one ; and, 

 the ambaflador hefitating a little when this was propofed, 

 the Benero told him plainly, that he would not fufler him 

 to pafs further by any other way than that of Bali. 



Bali was once a province belonging to Abyfiinia, and 

 was the firft taken from them by the Galla. It is to the 

 north-eaft of Narea, to the weft of the kingdom of Adel, 



R r 2 which 



