THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. i 35 



arrived at Axum, they fliould feek a fliip to carry them 

 back again to Zeyla, 300 miles eaitward, when they were 

 then going to Gondar, not much above a hundred miles 

 weft of Axum. This feems to me abfolutely impoffible to 

 explain. 



Still, however, another difficulty remains ; Tigre is faid, 

 by the Jefuits, and by M. Le Grande their hiftorian, to be 

 full of mountains, fo high that the Alps and Appenines 

 were very inconfiderable in comparifon. And fuppoie it 

 was otherwife, there is no navigable river, indeed no river 

 at all, that runs through Tigre into the Red Sea, and there 

 is the defert of Samhar to pafs, where there is no water at 

 all. How is it poffible a fliip from the coaft of Malabar 

 mould get up 200 miles from any fea among the moun- 

 tains of Tigre ? i hope the publiflier will compare this with 

 any map he pleafes, and correct it in his errata, otherwife 

 his narrative is unintelligible, unlefs all this was intended 

 to be placed to. the account of miracles—Peter v/alked upon 

 the water, and Lobo the Jefuit failed upon dry land. 



Dr Johnson, or his publiflier, involves his reader in 

 another ftrange perplexity. " Dancala is a city of Africa in 

 Upper Ethiopia, upon the Nile, in the tract of Nubia, of 

 which it is the capital ;" and the emperor wrote, " that the 

 miflionaries might eafily enter his dominions by the way of 

 Dancala*." It is very difficult to underfland how people, in 

 a fliip from India, could enter Abyffinia by the way of Dan- 

 cala, if that city is upon the Nile ; becaufe no where, that I 

 v> m - r know, 



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