THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 499 



without order, the only benefit expected from them being 

 the made. At fome fmall diftance is the village Azazo, ori- 

 ginally built for the accommodation of the king's fervants 

 while he refided there, but now chiefly occupied by monks 

 belonging to the large church of Tecla Haimanout, which 

 is on a little hill adjoining. Azazo, though little, is one 

 of the moll chearful and pleafant villages in the neighbour- 

 hood of Gondar. The lemon-tree feems to thrive better 

 and grow higher than the orange ; but the houfe itfelf 

 is going fail to ruin, as the kings of this country have 

 a fixed averlion to houfes built by their predeceflbrs. 



The Dumaza is a very clear and pleafant ftream, Tun- 

 ing brifkly over a fmall bed of pebbles : both this river and 

 the Shimfa come from Woggora on the N. W. they pafs the 

 hill of Kofcam, called Debra Tzai, join below Azazo, and, 

 traverfing the flat country of Dembea,they meet the Angrab, 

 which pafTes by Gondar, and with it fall into the Tacazze, 

 or Atbara. 



At noon we palled a fmall rivulet called Azzargiha, and, 

 foon after, the Chergue, where there began a molt violent 

 ftorm of rain, which forced us, much againft our will, into 

 the village, one of the mod miferable I ever entered ; it con- 

 fiflcd of fmall hovels built with branches of trees, and co- 

 vered with thatch of flraw. Thefe rains that fall in the lat- 

 ter feafon are what the natives very much depend upon, 

 and without which they could not low the latter crops ; 

 for, though it rains violently every day from May to the 

 beginning of September, by the end of October the 

 ground is fo burnt that the country would be unlit for 

 culture. 3R2 



Our 



