THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 349 



prlefts, had given a much more favourable profpccl: of re- 

 hgious aifairs than had as yet been conveyed to Rome ; the 

 wifer part of the conclave, however, had doubted. But nov^^, 

 the king had voluntarily made his recantation, it was no 

 longer thought time for delay, and accordingly Alphonfa 

 Mendez, a Jefuit dodtor of divinity, a man of great learn- 

 ing, by birth a Portuguefe,.was ordained at Lifbon the 25th 

 of May 1624. 



From thence he proceeded to India by the way of Goa,- 

 attended by feveral frefli miflionaries ; and finding there 

 letters from Socinios, and a paflport from the king of Dan- 

 cali, a Mahometan prince in alliance with the Abyllinians,. 

 he arrived at Bilur, an open bay in the fmall and barren 

 flatc of Dancali, on the fecond of May 1625, and was recei- 

 ved, by the brother of the reigning prince, with every to- 

 ken of friendfliip that fo poor a ilatc and fovcrcign could af- 

 ford ; the king of Dancali himfelf was at the diiiancc of fix 

 days journey, in a place where there was greater plenty of 

 water and provifions. The following day the king fcnt four 

 mules for the fathers to join him, and received them in a 

 room of a round figure, fuxTounded and covered with bun- 

 dles of llraw, but fo low they fcarce could raife themfelves 

 after having made their bows. . 



In this miferable kingdom, which I Ihall not defcribe, as, . 

 unce that period, it has been conquered by the Galla, the pa* 

 triarch and fathers ftaid almoft in want of nccefiaries for 

 fixteen days. At lall they fet out, having, with much diffi- 

 culty, mullered fuflicient beads of burden to carry their 

 baggage. The road lay through part of the country whcre- 

 ia are the mines of foflile-falt, hot, barren, and abfolutcly 



withoutt 



