THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 253 



On the N. E. of Tigre lies the province of Begemder. 

 It borders upon Angot, whofe governor is called Angot Ras ; 

 hut the whole province now, excepting a few villages, is 

 conquered by the Galla. 



It has Amhara, which runs parallel to it, on the foutll, 

 and is feparated from it by the river Bafliilo. Both thefe 

 provinces are bounded by the river Nik on the weft. Begets 

 der is about 180 miles in its greater! length, and 60 in 

 breadth, comprehending Lafta, a mountainous province, 

 fometimes depending on Begemder, but often in rebellion. 

 The inhabitants are efteemed the befl fokhers in Abyffinia, 

 men of great ftrength and Mature, but cruel and uncivilized j 

 fo that they are called, in common convention and writing, 

 the peafants, or barbarians of Lafta.; they pay to the king 

 j 000 ounces of gold. 



Several fmall provinces are now difmembered from Be* 

 gemder, fuch as Foggora, a fmall ftripe reaching S. and N. 

 about 35 miles between Emfras and Dara, and about 12 

 miles broad from E. to W. from the mountains of Begem- 

 der to the lake Tzana. On the north end of this are two 

 fmall governments, Dreeda and Karoota, the only territory 

 in Abyffinia that produces wine, the merchants trade to 

 Caffa and Narea, in the country of the Galla. We fpeak of 

 thefe territories as they are in point of right; but when a 

 nobleman of great power is. governor of the province of 

 Begemder, he values not. lefter rights, but. unites them all 

 to his province. . 



Begemder is the ftrength of Abyffinia in horfemen. It is 

 faid, that, with. Lafta, it can bring out 45,000 men ; but 



this 



