THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ioi 



party of about twenty armed men on horfeback. The 

 Shangalla, the ancient Cufhites, are all the way on out- 

 right hand, and frequently venture incurfions into the flat 

 country that was before us. This was the laft piece of at- 

 tention of the Baharnagafh, who fent his party to guard us 

 from danger in the plain. It awakened us from our fecuri- 

 ty ; we examined carefully the ftate of our fire-arms ; cleaned 

 and charged them anew, which we had not done fince the 

 day we left Dixan. 



The firft part of our journey to-day was in a deep gully ; 

 and, in half an hour, we entered into averypleafantwoodof 

 acacia- trees, then in flower. In it likewife was a tree, in fmell 

 likeahoneyfuckle,whofe large white flower nearly refembles 

 that of a caper. We came out of this wood into the plain, 

 and afcended two eafy hills ; upon the top of thefe were 

 two huge rocks, in the holes of which, and within a large 

 cave, a number of the blue fork- tailed fwallows had begun 

 their nefts. Thefe, and probably many, if not all the birds of 

 pafTage, breed twice in the year, which feems a provifion a- 

 gainft the loflcs made by emigration perfectly confonant 

 to divine wifdom. 1 hefe rocks are, by fome, faid to be the 

 boundaries of the command of the Baharnagafh on this fide ;: 

 though others extend them to the Balezat. 



We entered again a flraggling wood, fo overgrown with- 

 wild oats that it covered the men and their horfes. The plain 

 here is very wide. It reaches down on the weft to Serawe, 

 then diftant about twelve miles. It extends from Goura- 

 bubba as far fouth as Balezat. The foil is excellent; 

 but fuch flat countries are very rare in AbyfTmia. This, 

 which is one of rhe find! and wideft, is abandoned without 



culture 



