552 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



. and arc fcrvants in all the great houfes of Abyflinia. They 

 lUre inftriicfted early in the Chrillian religion, and the talleil, 

 handfomell:, and bell inclined, are the only fervanis that at- 

 tend the rOyal perfon in his palace. The number of the men 

 was 300 that had hor.fes in my time. They were once 280, 

 .and, before. my time, lefs than 200. Thefe are all cloath- 

 ed in coats of mail, and mounted on black horfes ; always 

 commanded by foreigners devoted entirely to the king's 

 will. By ftrid: attention to their morals, removing all bad 

 examples from among them, giving premiums to thofe 

 that read moil and bell, (for they had all time enough up- 

 on their hands, efpecially in winter) and, above all, by the 

 great delight and pleafure the king ufed to take in conver- 

 fmg with them while alone, countenancing and rewarding 

 them in the line he knew I followed, this body became, as 

 to firmnefs and coolnefs in adlion, equal perhaps to any of 

 Mhe fame number in the world ; and the greateft difficulty 

 was keeping them together, for all the great men ufed to 

 wiHi one of them for the charge of his door, which is a very 

 .great trull among the Abyilinians. The king's eafmefs was 

 xonllantly prevailed upon to promife fuch, and great incon- 

 venience always followed this, till Ras Michael difcharged 

 this practice by proclamation, and fet the example, by re- 

 turning four that he himfelf had kept for the pvirpofe be- 

 fore mentioned. 



While what I have faid is flill in memory, I mufl apply 

 a part of it to explain a paflage in Hanno's Periplus. We 

 favv, fays that bold navigator, when rowing clofe along the 

 jCOclH of Africa, rivers of lire, which i-an down from the higli- 

 •cil .mountains, and poured themfelvcs into the fca ; thrs 

 2 alarmed 



