THE SOURCE OF THENILE. i°5 



throughout Abyffmia, as Dinglebcr, Sankraber ; and fo 



forth. 



There are five of thefe Awides which, like turnpikes, are 

 to be paid at paffing between Mafuah and Adbwa ; one at 

 Samhar, the fecond at Dixan, the third at Darghat the 

 fourth here at Balezat, and the fifth at Kella. The fmall 

 village of Sebow was diftant from us two miles to the eaft; 

 Zarow the fame diftance to the S. S. E. and Noguet, a vil- 

 lage before us, were the places of abode of thefe tax-gather- 

 ers who farm it for a fum from their fuperior, and divide 

 the profit pro rata of the fums each has advanced. It is 

 much of the fame nature as the caphar in the Levant, but le- 

 vied in a much more indifcreet, arbitrary manner. The 

 farmer of this duty values as he thinks proper what each 

 caravan is to pay ; there is no tariff, or reflraint, upon him. 

 Some have on this account been detained months ; and o- 

 thers in time of trouble or bad news, have been robbed of 

 every thing : this is always the cafe upon the leafl refiftance; 

 for then the villages around you rife in arms ; you are 

 not only ftript of your property, but fure to be ill-treated 

 in your perfon. 



As I was fent for by the king, and going to Ras Michael, 

 in whofe province they were, I affecfed to laugh when they 

 talked of detaining me ; and declared peremptorily to them, 

 that I would leave all my baggage to them with great plea- 

 fure rather than that the king's life mould be in danger 

 by ray ftay. They were now ftaggered, and ieemed not 

 prepared for an incident of this kind. As I kept up a high 

 tone we were quit with being detained a day, by paying 

 five pieces of blue Surat cotton cloth, value | of a pataka 



Vol. III. O each, 



