i 9 o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



ftation upon Lamalmon. The language of Lamalmon is Am- 

 haric ; but there are many villages where the language of" 

 the Falafha is fpoken. Thefe are the ancient inhabitants of 

 the mountains, who (till preferve the religion, language, and 

 manners of their anceftors, and live in villages by them-, 

 felves. Their number is now confiderably diminifhed,, 

 and this has proportionally lowered their power and fpirit.. 

 They are now wholly addicted to agriculture, hewers of. 

 wood and carriers of water, and the only potters and ma- 

 fons in Abyflinia. In the former profeflion they excel 

 greatly, and, in general, live better than the other Abyffi- 

 mans ; which thefe, in revenge, attribute to a fkill in magic,, 

 not to fnperior induftry. Their villages are generally 

 ftrongly fituated out of the reach of marching armies, o- 

 therwife they would be conftantly rifled, partly from hatred 3i 

 and partly from hopes of finding money.. 



On the 10th, at half paft {even in the morning, we con- 

 tinued along the plain on the top of Lamalmon ; it is call- 

 ed Lama ; and a village of the fame name bore about two 

 miles eait from us. At eight o'clock we pafTed two village* 

 called Mocken, one W. by N. at one mile and a half, the other 

 S. E. two miles diilant. At half paft eight we crofTed the river. 

 Macara, a confiderable ftream running with a very great cur- 

 rent, which is the boundary between Woggora and Lamal- 

 mon. At nine o'clock we encamped at fome fmall villages, 

 called Macara, under a church named Yafous. On the i ith 

 of February, by the meridian altitude of the fun at noon,, 

 'and that of feveral fixed flars proper for obfervation, I found: 

 the latitude of Macara to be 13 6' 8". The ground was every- 

 where burnt up; and, though the nights were very cold, 

 we UaAnot obferved the fmalleft dew lince our firfl afcend- 



