THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. j 



king, perhaps better informed, thought otherwife of this, 

 and fuppofed the burning of his capital was owing to the 

 Monks themfelves. He therefore banimed thofe of Debra 

 Libanos out of the province of Shoa. The mountain of 

 Gemen had been chofen for the prifon wherein to guard 

 the princes of the male-line of the race of Solomon, after 

 the maffacre by Either *, upon the rock Damo in Tigre. 



Geshen is a very fteep and high rock, in the kingdom of 

 Amhara, adjoining to, and under the jurifdiction of Shoa. 

 Hither the king fent Philip the Itchegue, chief of the mo- 

 nailery of Debra Libanos, and he fcattered the reft through 

 Dembea, Tigre, and Begemder,(whofe inhabitants were moft- 

 ly Pagans and Jews), where they greatly propagated the 

 knowledge of the Chriftian religion. 



This inftance of feverity in the king had the effect to 

 make all ranks of people return to their duty ; and all talk 

 of Honorius and his miracles was dropt. The town was re- 

 built fpeedily, more magnificently than ever, and Amda Sion 

 found time to turn his thoughts to correct thofe abufes, to 

 efface the unfavourable impreffion which they had made up- 

 on the minds of his people at home, and which, befides, had 

 gained confiderahle ground abroad. 



It has been before mentioned, and will be further incul- 

 cated in the courie of this hiftory as a fact, without the 

 remembrance of which the military expeditions of Abyfli- 

 nia cannot be well underftooci, that two oppoiite feafons 



prevail 



* She bad feretal names, as I have before faid, Judith in Tigre, and in Amhara Eflht-r. 



