THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. yyf 



world, as he imagined. Indeed, if all his predeceffors had 

 as numerous families as he, there was no probability of the 

 fucceihon devolving to Grangers. He had a long white 

 beard, and very moderately thick; an ornament rare in 

 Abyffinia, where they have feldom any hair upon their chin. 

 He had round his body a fkin wrapt and tied with a broad 

 belt : I mould rather fay it was an ox's hide ; but it was {o 

 fcraped, and rubbed, and manufactured, that it was of the 

 confidence and appearance of fhamoy,only browner in co- 

 lour. Above this he wore a cloak with the hood up, 

 and covering his head; he was, bare-legged, but had 

 fandals, much like thofe upon ancient flames ; thefe, how- 

 ever, he put off as foon as ever he approached the bog 

 where the Nile rifes, which we were all likewife obliged to 

 do. We were allowed to drink the water, but make no 

 other ufe of it. None of the inhabitants of Geefh wafh 

 themfelves, or their cloaths, in the Nile, but in a ftream 

 that falls from the mountain of Geefh down into the plain 

 of Affoa, which runs fouth, and meets the Nile in its turn 

 northward, pafhng the country of the Gafats and Gongas.. 



The Agows, in whofe country the Nile rifes, are, in' 

 point of number, one of the moil coniiderable nations in 

 Abyffinia ; when their whole force is raifed, which feldom 

 happens, they can bring to the field 4000 horfe, and a great 

 number of foot; they were, however, once much more 

 powerful ; feveral unfuccefsful battles, and the perpetual 

 inroads of the Galla, have much diminiihed their ftrength. 

 The country, indeed, is flill full of inhabitants, but from 

 their hiftory we learn, that one clan, called Zeegam, man* 

 tained fingly a war againft the king himfelf, from the time 

 of Socinios to that of Yafous the Great, who, after all,. 



overcame-. 



