THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 155 



whofe top runs in an even ridge like a wall. At the bottom 

 of this cliff, where our tent was pitched, the fmall rivulet 

 Maifbinni rifes, which, gentle and quiet as it then was, runs 

 very violently in winter, firft north from its fource, and then 

 winding to S. W. it falls in feveral cataracts, near a hundred 

 feet high, into a narrow valley, through which it make^ il 

 way into the Tacazze. Maifbinni, for wild and rude beau- 

 ties, may compare with any place we had ever feen. 



This day was the firft cloudy one we had met with, or 

 obferved this year. The fun was covered for feveral hours, 

 which announced our being near the large riverTacazze. 



On the 25th, at feven in the morning, leaving Maifbinni, 

 wc continued on our road, fhaded with trees of many diffe- 

 rent kinds. At half an hour after eight we palled the river, 

 which at this place runs weft ; our road this day was thro' 

 the fame plain as yefterday, but broken and full of holes. 

 At ten o'clock we refted in a large plain called Dagafhaha ; 

 a hill in form of a cone Hood fingle about two miles north 

 from us ; a thin ftraggling wood was to the S. E ; and the 

 water, rifing in fpungy, boggy, and dirty ground, was very 

 indifferent ; it lay to the weft of us. 



Dagashaha is a bleak and difagreeabic quarter ; but the 

 mountain itfclf, being icen far oil", was of great rife to us in 

 adjufting our bearings ; the rather that, taking our depar- 

 ture from Dagafhaha, wc came immediately in fight of the 

 high mountain of Samen, where Lamalmon, one of th: 

 ridge, is by much the moft confpicuous ; and over this lies 

 the paflage, or high road, to Gondar. We likewife fee t 

 rugged, hilly country of Salent, adjoining to the foot of t 



U 2 mountain 



