THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 27 



fome acacia-trees. Here we faw plenty of water-fowl, and 

 feveral gomaris. A fmall river croHes the road here, and 

 falls into the lake: and, at one o'clock in the afternoon, we 

 continued our journey, and overtook a troop of Agows, who 

 were going to Gondar, laden with honey, butter, and un- 

 tanncd hides. They had with them alfo about 800 head of 

 cattle. Thefe people accuttomed to the road (though hea- 

 vily laden) go long journies : they had at this time 50 miles 

 to make by nine o'clock in the morning of the i8th, and 

 it was now the 16th, patt one o'clock. 



A Shower overtook us foon after pafllng Mefcalaxos, and 

 forced us to take refuge in fome fmall huts near the lake, 

 called Goja, where we remained. The inhabitants of this 

 and the neighbouring villages fpeak Falafha, the language 

 anciently of all Dembea, which, as has been already obltrved, 

 in mod of the plain country, has now given place to Am- 

 haric. Here we faw two gomari come out of the lake and 

 enter the corn, but fpeedily, upon the dogs of the villages 

 attacking them, they ran and plunged into the v/ater ; we 

 could not have a dillinft view of them, nor time enough to 

 defign them, but they were very different from any draught 

 we had ever feen of them. The head feemed to me to 

 refemble that of a hog more than of a horfe. We had this 

 day travelled fiX hours and a half, or about thirteen miles. 



On the 1 7th, at a quarter pail feven, we left Goja. At one 

 o'clock we halted at Sar Ohha, after a journey of five hours 

 and a half, or about eleven miles ; and on the i8th, at half 

 paft fix, left Sar Ohha. At three quartei s paft feven we palTed 

 the river Talti, and at half pad eleven halted at Abba Abram, 

 near the church, under a large falla-tree. At one, con- 



D 2 tinued 



