THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 307 



One day Ras Michael afked me, before AbbaSalama, (the 

 Acab Saat) Whether fuch things as thefe promifcuous mar- 

 riages and divorces were permitted and pradtifed in my 

 country ? I excufed myfelf till I was no longer able ; and, 

 upon his infilling, I was obliged to anfwer, That even if 

 fcripture had not forbid to us as Chriftians, as Englifhmen 

 the law reftrained us from fuch practices, by declaring 

 polygamy felony, or punifhable by death. 



The king in his marriage ufes no other ceremony than 

 this : _He fends an Azage to the houfe where the lady lives, 

 where the officer announces to her, It is the king's pleafure 

 that me mould remove inftantly to the palace. She then 

 drefles herfelf in the belt manner, and immediately obeys. 

 Thenceforward he afligns her an apartment in the palace, 

 and gives her a houfe elfewhere in any part me chufes. 

 Then when he makes her Iteghe, it feems to be the neareft 

 refemblance to marriage ; for, whether in the court or the 

 camp, he orders one of the judges to pronounce in his pre- 

 fence, That he, the king, has chofen his hand- maid, na- 

 ming her for his queen ; upon which the crown is put up- 

 on her head, but me is not anointed. 



The crown being hereditary in one family, but elective 

 in the perfon, and polygamy being permitted, muft have 

 multiplied thefe heirs very much, and produced conftant 

 difputes, fo that it was found neceflary to provide a remedy 

 for the anarchy and effufion of royal blood, which was 

 otherwife inevitably to follow. The remedy was a humane 

 and gentle one, they were confined in a good climate upon 

 a high mountain, and maintained there at the public ex- 

 pence. They are there taught to read and write, but no- 



Qji z thing 



