THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 307 



phant or rhinoceros. Nobody would touch the carcafe of 

 the boar after it was dead, being an animal which is con- 

 fid ?red as unclean. 



Ammonios was a man of approved courage and conduct:, 

 and had been in all the wars of Ras Michael, and was pla- 

 ced about Ayto Confu, to lead the troops, curb the prefump- 

 tlod, and check the impetuofity of that youthful warrior. He 

 xvas'tall, and aukwardly made ; flow in fpeech and motion, 

 fo much as even to excite ridicule; about fixty years of age, 

 and more corpulent than the Abyfllnians generally are ; in 

 a word, as pedantic and grave in his manner as it is pof- 

 fible to exprefs. He fpent his whole leifure time in reading 

 the fcripture, nor did he willingly difcourfe of any thing 

 elfe. He had been bred a foot-foldier ; and, though he 

 rode as well as many of the Abyfllnians, yet, having long 

 flirrup-leathers, with iron rings at the end of them, into 

 which he put his naked toe only, inflead of ftirrups, he 

 had no flrcngth or agility on horfeback, nor was his bridle 

 fuch as could command his horfe to Hop, or wind and turn 

 f]-iarply among trees, though he might make a tolerable 

 ligure on a plain. 



A Boar, roufed on our right, had wounded a horfc and 

 a footman of Ayto Confu, and tlien efcapcd. Two buifaloes 

 were found by thofe on the right, one of which wounded a • 

 horfe likev.'ife. Ayto Confu, Engedan, Guebra Mariam, 

 and myfelf, killed the other with equal fliare of merit, with- 

 out being in any fort of danger. All this was in little more 

 than an hour, when our fport feemed to be at the bell; 

 our horfcs were confidcrably blown, not tired, and though 

 we were beating home-vards, llill we were looking very 



Q^q 2 keenly 



