THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 55-9 



an hour ; our friends were, like us, willing to meet and will- 

 ing to part, only I ordered Strates to fufpend his firing for 

 that day, left it fhould procure us another interview, which 

 we by no means courted. 



We had halted by the fide of a fmall river which falls 

 into the Affar ; and a little before one o'clock we came to 

 the Affar itfelf. The Affar, as I have already faid, is the 

 fouthern boundary of Aroofii, as Kelti is the northern ; and 

 as Arooffi is the fouthern diftiict of Maitfha on the weft fide 

 of the Nile, it follows that the Affar is the fouthern bounda- 

 ry of Maitfha. 



On the other fide of this river begins the province of 

 Goutto, which, according to the ancient rules of govern- 

 ment before Ras Michael deftroyed all diftinctions, depend- 

 ed on the province of Damot ; whereas Maitfha belonged to 

 the office of Betwudet fince Fafil had appropriated both to him- 

 felf by force, as well as the whole country of the Agows, 

 which he had pofleffed by the fame title ever fince the bartle 

 of Banja : the inhabitants of Goutto are the ancient natives of 

 that country ; they are not Galla as thofe of Maitfha, but 

 much more civilized and better governed. The language of 

 the Agowand the Amharic are the two chiefly fpokcn in Gout- 

 to, though there are diftant places towards the Jemma on the 

 fide of the Nile, where the)- fpeak that of the Fataiha likewife. 

 The people in Goutto are richer and better lodged than 

 thofe of the neighbouring Maitfha ; their whole country 

 is full of cattle of the largeft fize, exceedingly beautiful, and 

 of all the different colours ; there are fome places likewife 

 where their honey is excellent, equal to any in the country 

 of the Agows, but the greateft quantity of it is of low price 



and 



