•88 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



thing for his treacherous inclinations towards us, yet, for 

 Achmet's fake, and our friend Hagi Abdelcader's, we made 

 him a prefent of three pieces more. 



It is true of Dixan as, I believe, of moll frontier towns, 

 that the bad people of both contiguous countries refort thi- 

 ther. The town, as I before have faid, confifts of Moors 

 and Chriftians, and is very well peopled ; yet the only trade 

 of either of thefe feels is a very extraordinary one, that of 

 felling of children. The Chriftians bring fuch as they have 

 ftolen in Abyflinia to Dixan as to a fure depofit ; and the 

 Moors receive them there, and carry them to a certain mar- 

 ket at Mafuah, whence they are fent over to Arabia or In- 

 dia. The priefts of the province of Tigre, efpecially thofe 

 near the rock Damo, are openly concerned in this infamous 

 practice ; and fome of thefe have been licenfed by Michael 

 dto carry it on as a fair trade, upon paying fo many firelocks 

 for each dozen or fcore of Haves. 



Nothing can elucidate the footing upon which this 

 trade (lands better than a tranfa&ion which happened 

 while I was in Ethiopia, and which reached Gondar by 

 way of complaint from Mafuah, and was told me by Mi- 

 chael himfelf. 



Two priefts of Tigre, whore names I have forgot, had 

 been long intimate friends. They dwelt near the rock Da- 

 mo. The youngeft was married, and had two children, 

 both fons ; the other was old, and had none. The old one 

 reproved his friend one day for keeping his children at 

 home idle, and not putting them to fome profeffion by 

 which they might gain their bread. The married prieft 

 a pleaded 



