THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 33$ 



It is a miftake that there is no wine in Abyftinia, for a 

 quantity of excellent ftrong wine is made at Dreeda, fouth- 

 weft from Gondar about thirty miles, which would more 

 than fupply the quantity neceilary for the celebration of 

 the eucharift in all Abyflinia twenty times over. The people 

 themfelves are not fond of wine, and plant the vine in one 

 place only ; and in this they have been imitated by the E- 

 gyptians, their colony ; but a fmall black grape, of an ex- 

 cellent flavour, grows plentifully wild in every wood in 

 Tigre. 



Large pieces of bread are given to the communicants 

 in proportion to their quality ; and I have feen great men, 

 who, though they open their mouths as wide as convenient- 

 ly a man can do, yet from the refpect the prieft bore him, 

 fuch a portion of the loaf was put into his mouth that wa- 

 ter ran from his eyes, from the incapacity of chewing it, 

 ■which, however, he does as indecently, and with full as muck 

 noife, as he eats at table. 



After receiving the facrament of the eucharift in both 

 kinds, a pitcher of water is brought, of which the comrrm- 

 nicant drinks a large draught ; and well he needs it to wafh 

 down the quantity of bread he has juft fwallowed. He 

 then retires from the fteps of the inner divifion upon which 

 the adminiftering prieft ftands, and, turning his face to the 

 wall of the church, in private fays fome prayer with feem- 

 ing decency and attention. 



The Romanifts doubt of the validity of the AbyfTmian 

 confecration of the elements, becaufe in their liturgy it is 

 plainly faid, " Lord, put thy hand upon this cup, and blefs 



"it, 



