THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 189 



ted from the plain of St Michael by a very deep gully. Nei- 

 ther Lamalmon nor Gingerohha, though higher than the 

 mountains of Tigre, are equal in height to fome of thofe 

 of Samen. I take thofe to the S. E. to be much higher, and, 

 above all, that lharp-pointed hill Amba Gideon, the prefent 

 refidence of the governor of Samen, Ayto Tesfos. This is 

 otherwife called the Jews-Rock, famous in the hiftory of this 

 country for the many revolts of the Jews againfl the Abyf- 

 finian kings. 



The mountain is everywhere fo fteep and high, that 

 it is not enough to fay againft the will, but without the af- 

 fiflance of thofe above, no one from below can venture to 

 afcend. On the top is a large plain, affording plenty of pas- 

 ture, as well as room for plowing and fowing for the main- 

 tenance of the army; and there is water, at all feafons, in 

 great plenty, and even nfli in the dreams upon it ; fo that, 

 although the inhabitants of the mountain had been often 

 befieged for a confiderable time together, they fuffered little 

 inconvenience from it, nor ever were taken unlefs by trea- 

 fon ; except by Chriftopher de Gama and his Portuguefe, 

 who are faid, by their own hiftorians, to have flormed this 

 rock, and put the Mahometan garrifon to the fword. No 

 mention of this honourable conqueft is made in the annals 

 of Abyflinia, though they give the hiftory of this campaign 

 of Don Chriftopher in the life of Claudius, or Atzenaf Se- 

 gued. 



On the top of the cliff where we now were, on the left hand 

 of the road to Gondar, we filled a tube with quick-filver, and 

 purged it perfectly of outward air ; it flood this day at 20I- 

 Englifh inches. Dagafhaha bears N. E, by E. from our prefent 



v. iii. a a ftation 



