THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. u 



faithful to the inftrucfions of his matter, and was indepen- 

 dent of every perfon elfe. He applied to Mahomet Adulai, 

 (a perfon kept by Ras Michael as a fpy upon the Naybe, and 

 in the fame character by Metical Aga) ; and Adulai, that 

 very night, difpatched a trufty meffenger, with many of 

 whom he was conilantly provided. This runner, charged 

 with our difpatches, having a friend and correfpondent of 

 his own among the Shiho, palled, by ways beft known to 

 himfelf, and was fafely efcorted by his own friends till the 

 fifth day, when he arrived at the cuilomhoufe of Adowa, 

 and there delivered our difpatches to our friend Janni. 



At Cairo, as I have already mentioned, I met with my 

 friend father Chriftopher, who introduced me to the Greek 

 patriarch, Mark. This patriarch had told me, that there 

 were of his communion, to the number of about twenty, 

 then in Abymnia ; fome of them were good men and be- 

 coming rich in the way of trade ; fome of them had fled 

 from the feverity of the Turks, after having been detected 

 by them in intimacy with Mahometan women ; but all of 

 them were in a great degree of credit at the court of Abyf- 

 fmia, and pofTefling places under government greatly be- 

 yond his expectation. To thefe he wrote letters, in the man- 

 ner of bulls from the pope, enjoining them, with regard to 

 me, to obey his orders flrictly, the particulars of which I 

 fliall have occafion to fpeak of afterwards. 



Janni, then at Adowa in Tigre, was a man of the firft 

 character for good life and morals. He had ferved two 

 kings of Abymnia with great reputation, and Michael had 

 appointed him to the cuilomhoufe at Adowa, to fuperintend 

 the affairs of the revenue there, while he himfelf was occu- 



B 2 pied 



