THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 549 



In that part of the Shangalla country more to the eafl-^ 

 ward, about N. N. E. of Amba Tzaada, in the northern iextre* 

 niities of the woody part, where the river Mareb, leaving 

 Dobarwa, flows througlx thick bufliea till it lofcs itfclf in 

 the fands, there is a nation of thefe blacks, .who being nea? 

 the country of the Baharnagafli, an officer whofe province 

 produces a number of horfe, dare not, for that realbn, ven- 

 ture to make an extenftve ufe of the variety of wild beails 

 which throng in the woods to the fouthward, for fear of 

 being intercepted by their enemy, conilantly upon the watch 

 for them, part of.his tribute being paid in black flaves.- 

 Thefe, therefore, confine themfelves to the fouthern part of 

 their territory, near the.Barabra. 



The extraordinary courfe of this river under the fandj 

 allures to it multitudes of oftrichcs, which, too, are the 

 food of the Shangalla, as is a beautiful lizard, never, that I 

 know, yet defcribed. Thefe are the food of the eaflern Shan- 

 galla; and I muil: here obferve, that this country and peo-* 

 pie were much better known to the ancients than to us. 

 The Egyptians traded with them, and caravans of thefe 

 people were conftantly in Alexandria ; in the reigns of the 

 firft Ptolemies. Moft of the producTiions of thefe parts, and: 

 the people themfelves, are mentioned in the remarkable 

 proceffion made by Ptolemy Philadelphus on his acceffion; 

 to the throne of Egypt, as already obferved, though a con-.- 

 fulion often arifes therein by tliis country being called by 

 the name of India, 



Ptolemy, the geographer, clafTes thefe people exactly 

 enough, and diftinguifhes them very accurately by their 

 particular. food, or dietetique regimen, though he errs, in* 



deed 



