128 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



This calm I refolved to take advantage of, and to fet out 

 immediately for Gondar. But the 17th of January was 

 now at hand, on which the Abyffinians celebrate the feaft 

 of the Epiphany with extraordinary rejoicings, and as ex- 

 traordinary ceremonies, if we believe what their enemies 

 have faid about their yearly repetition of baptifm. This 

 I was refolved to verify with my own eyes ; and as Alvarez, 

 chaplain to the embaily from Don Emanuel, king of Portu- 

 gal, to king David III. fays he was likewife prefent at it, the 

 public will judge between two eye-witneffes which is likc- 

 liefl to be true, when I come to give an account of the re- 

 ligious rites of this people. Adowa is in lat. 14 7' 57" 

 north. 



On the 17th, we fet out from Adowa, re fuming our jour- 

 ney to Gondar; and, after palling two fmall villages Adega 

 Net, and Adega Daid, the firft about half a mile on our 

 left, the fecond about three miles diftant on our right, we 

 decamped at fun fet near a place called Bet Hannes, in 

 a narrow valley, at the foot of two hills, by the fide of 

 a fmall firearm 



On the 8th, in the morning, we afcended one of thefe 

 hills, through a very rough flony road, and again came in- 

 to the plain, wherein ilood Axum, once the capital of Abyf- 

 finia, at leaf! as it is fuppofed. For my part, I believe it to 

 have been the magnificent metropolis of the trading peo- 

 ple, or Troglodyte Ethiopians called properly Cuihites, for 

 the reafon I have -already given, as the Abyilinians never 

 built any city, nor do the ruins of any exift at this day in 

 the whole country. But the black, or Troglodyte part of it, 

 called in the language of fcripture- Cuib, in many places 



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