THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. J4j 



At this time the Etiiiopic memoirs of Socinios's reign 

 interrupted their coiitiniral topics of lebelUon and bloodlhed, 

 to record a very trifling anecdote ; which, however, I infert^ 

 as it ferves to give fome idea of the limplicity and ignorance 

 of thofe times. 



The hiftorian fays^ that this year there was brought into 

 Abyflinia, a bird called Para^ which was about the bigncfs 

 of a hen, and fpoke all languages ^hidian, Portuguefe, and 

 Arabic. It named the king's name -..although its voice was 

 that of a man, it could likewife neigh like a horfe, and mew 

 like a cat, but did not fing like a bird. It was produced be- 

 fore the afTembly of judges, of the priefls, and the azages 

 of court, and there it fpoke with great gravity. The allem- 

 bly, after confidering eircumftances well, were unanimoully 

 of opinion, that the cviL fpirit had no part in,, endowing it 

 ■with thefc talents. But to be certain of this, it was thought- 

 moft prudent to take the advice of Ras Sela Chriilos, theri^- 

 in Gojam, who might, if he thought (n\, confult the fuperi- 

 or of Mahebar SelalTe ; to them it was fcnt, but it died on 

 the road. The hiftorian clofes his narrative by tins wife 

 reflection on the parrot's deaths " Such is the lot of alt 

 " flefh." 



The king, immediately after his viiflory over Jonael, had^ 

 refolved to throw off' the mafk, and openly to profefs the 

 Catholic religion. The fuccefs of Sela Chriflos againft the- 

 Damots had confirmed him. He had pafled the rainy fea>^ 

 fon, as I have- before obferved, between Gorgora and Dan- 

 caz ; and, in the ufual time, in the month of November,, 

 marched to Foggora, a narrow ftripe of plain country, reach- 

 ing from Emfras to Dara, bounded on ona Ude by the lake: 



Denin- 



