THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ij 



appointed by the king ; and they had eflablifhed a variety 

 of marts or fairs from Ifat, all the way as far as Adel. 



Adel and Mara were two of the moft powerful king- 

 doms which lie on the Indian Ocean ; and, being conftant- 

 ly fupported by foldiers from Arabia, were the firft to with- 

 draw themfelves from obedience to the king of Abyflmia, 

 and feldom paid their tribute unlefs when the prince came 

 to raife it there with an army. Ifat, Fatigar, and Dawaro, 

 were indeed originally Chriflian provinces ; but, in weak 

 reigns, having been ceded to Moorifh governors for fums 

 of money, they, by degrees, renounced both their religion, 

 and allegiance.- 



From what has been obferved, the reader will conceive, 

 that where it is faid the king, from his capital in Shoa, 

 marched down into Dawaro, Hadea, or Adel, that he then 

 defcended from the higheft mountains down to the flat 

 country on the level with the fea. That this country, from 

 Hadea to Dawaro, having been the feat of war for ages, 

 was, partly by the foldier for the ufe of the camp, partly by 

 the hufbandman for the neceflaries of life, cleared of wood, 

 where the water flood conftantly in pools throughout the 

 year ; and, being all compofed of fat black earth, which 

 the torrents bring down from the rainy country of Abyf- 

 finia, was fown with millet and different kinds of grain in 

 the driefl ground, while,. nearer the mountains, they paftured 

 numerous herds of cattle. Notwithftanding, however, the 

 country was pofTefTed of thefe advantages, the climate was 

 intenfely hot, feverifh, and unhealthy, and, for the moft 

 part, from thefe circumflances, fatal to ftrangcrs, and hated 

 by the Abyfunians, 



Again, 



