THESOURCE OF THE NILE. 617 



hiflory of the country, and of the particulars concerning the 

 million in great detail, and with good judgment, yet he ne- 

 ver mentions this journey of Peter Paez, though it proba- 

 bly mull have been conveyed to Rome and Portugal, after 

 his infpe&ion, and under his authority. 



Balthazar Tellez, a learned Jefuit, has wrote two vo- 

 lumes in folio with great candour and impartiality, confider- 

 ing the fpirit of thofe times ; and he declares his work to 

 be compiled from this hiftory of Alphonfo Mendes the pa- 

 triarch, from the two volumes of Peter Paez, as well as from 

 the regular reports made by the individuals of the company 

 in fome places, and by the provincial letters in others; to all 

 which he had compleat accefs, as alfo to the annual reports 

 of Peter Paez among the rell, from 1598 to 1622 ; yet Tellez 

 makes no mention of fuch a difcovery, though he is very 

 particular as to the merit of each miflionary during the 

 long reign of Sultan Segued, or Socinios, which occupies 

 more than half of the two volumes. 



After thefe ftrong preemptions, that Peter Paez neither 

 made fuch a journey nor ever pretended it, 1 mall fubmit 

 the account that Paez himfelf, or Kircher for him, has gi- 

 ven of the expedition and confequent difcovery; and if any 

 of my readers can perfuade themfelves that a man of ge- 

 nius, fuch as was Peter Paez, tranfported by accident to thefe 

 fountains, and exulting as he does \ipon the difcovery, 

 the value of which he feems to have known well, could 

 yet have given fuch a defcription as he does, I- am then 

 contented with being only the partner of Peter Paez. 



Vol. UI. 4 l Before 



