THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. igj 



coaft of the Red Sea. The fun here is indeed hot, but in 

 the morning a cool breeze never fails, which increafes 

 as the fun rifes high. In the fhade it is always cool. 

 The thermometer, in the fhade, in the plain of St Michael, 

 this day, was 76 , wind N. W. 



Lamalmon, as I have faid, is the pafs through which the 

 road of all caravans to Gondar lies. It is here they take an ac- 

 count of all baggage and merchandife, which they tranfmit 

 to the Negade Ras, or chief officer of the cufloms at Gon- 

 dar, by a man whom they fend to accompany the caravan. 

 There is alfo a prefent, or awide, due to the private proprie- 

 tor of the ground ; and this is levied with great rigour and 

 violence, and, for the moll part, with injuftice ; fo that this 

 flation, which, by the eftablimment of the cuftomhoufe, and 

 nearnefs to the capital, mould be in a particular manner at- 

 tended to by government, is always the place where the firft 

 robberies and murders are committed in unfettled times. 

 Though we had nothing with us which could be confider- 

 ed as fubject to duty, we fubmitted every thing to the will 

 of the robber of the place, and gave him his prefent. If he 

 was not fatisfied, he feemed to be fo, which was all we 

 wanted. 



We had obtained leave to depart eariy in the morning of 

 the 9th, but it was with great regret we were obliged to 

 abandon our Mahometan friends into hands that feemed 

 difpofed to fhew them no favour. The king was in Maitfha, 

 or Damot, that is to fay, far from Gondar, and various re- 

 ports were fpread abroad about the fuccefs of the campaign; 

 and thefe people only waited for an unfavourable event to 



Vol. III. A a make 



