THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 321 



fpe(5b which he Ihewed to the king of Abyflinia, though he 

 was neither his fubjedt nor vaflal. He inquired much after 

 the king's heakh, and flood a Uttle by the ambafTador and 

 Fernandes, fpeaking by an interpreter. Afterwards he a- 

 gain returned to his balcony, fat down there, read his 

 letter, and then correfponded with the ambajDTador by mef- 

 ages fent from above to them below. 



It is impoflible to conceive from this, or any thing that 

 Fernandes fays, whether the language of Gingiro is pecu- 

 liar to that country or not. The king of Gingiro read So- 

 cinios's letter, which was either in the Tigre or Arabic lan- 

 guage. Fernandes underftood the Arabic, and Fecur Egzie 

 the Tigre and Amharic. It is not pofliblc, then, to know 

 what was the language of the king of Gingiro, who read 

 and underftood Socinios's letter, but fpoke to Fecur Egzie by 

 an interpreter. 



At laft the king of Gingiro told them, that all contained 

 in the king of AbylTmia's letter was, that he fliouldufc them 

 well, give them good guard and protection while they were 

 in his country, and further them on their journey ; which 

 he faid he would execute with the greatcft pleafure and 

 punctuality. 



The next day, as is ufiial, the ambaiTador and miflionary 

 carried the king's prefent, chints, calicoe, and other manufac- 

 tures of India, things that the king elleemed moft. In re- 

 turn to Fernandes he fent a young girl, whom the father 

 returned, it not being cuftomary, as he faid, for a Chriflian 

 prieft to have girls in his company. In exchange for the 

 girl, the good-natured king of Gingiro fent him a Have of 



Vol. II. Sf the 



