THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 737 



cry, being circulated in the form of wedges, or bricks ; 

 it ferves the purpofe of filver coin, and is the change of 

 gold ; fo that this herb is of the utmoft ufe in preventing 

 the increafe in price of this neceflary article, which is the 

 principal food of all ranks of people in this country. Brides 

 paint their feet likewife from the ancle downwards, a* 

 alfo their nails and palms of their hands, with this drug. 

 I brought with me into Europe a large quantity of the 

 feed refembling that of coriander, and difperfed it plen- 

 tifully through all the royal gardens : whether it has fuc- 

 ceeded or not I cannot fay. 



Besides the market of Gondar, the neighbouring black 

 favages, the woolly-headed Shangalla, purchafe the greateft 

 part of thefe commodities from them, and many others, 

 which thev bring from the capital when they return thence; 

 they receive in exchange elephants teeth, rhinoceros horns, 

 gold in fmall pellets, and a quantity of very fine cotton ; of 

 which goods they might receive a much greater quantity 

 were they content to cultivate trade in a fair way, with- 

 out making inroads upon thefe favages for the fake of 

 flaves, and thereby diflurbing them in their occupations of 

 feeking for gold and hunting the elephant. 



The way this trade, though very much limited, is efta- 

 blifhed, is by two nations fending their children mutually to 

 each other ; there is then peace between thofe two families 

 which have fuch hoftages ; thefe children often intermar- 

 ry ; after which that family is underftood to be protected, 

 and at peace, perhaps, for a generation : but fuch inftances 

 are rare, the natural propenfity of both nations being to theft 



Vol. III. 5 A and 



