THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ,59 



Grfcnde, and fome of the Jefuits, lefs bigotted than him, have 

 aiTerted, that fuch a practice prevailed in the Abyffinian 

 church, to fhew its conformity with the church of Rome ; 

 which we mall fee, however, contradicted almoft in every 

 prince's reign. 



The fecond thing I ihall obferve is, that there is no ground 

 for that prejudice, fo common in the writers concerning 

 this country, who fay that thefe people are Nomades, per- 

 petually roving about in tents. If they had ever fo little 

 reflected upon it, there is not a country in the world where 

 this is lefs pollible than in Abyflinia, a country abounding 

 with mountains, where every flat piece of ground is, once, 

 a-day, during fix months rain, cut through by a number of 

 torrents, fweeping cattle, trees, and every thing irrefiftibly 

 before them ; where no field, unlefs it has fome declivity, 

 can be fown, nor even palled over by a traveller, without 

 fome danger of being fwept away, during the hours of the 

 day when the rain is moft violent ; in fuch a country it would 

 ibe impoffible for 30 or 40,000 men to encamp from place to 

 place, and to fubfift without fome permanent retreat. Ac- 

 cordingly they have towns and villages perched upon the 

 pinnacles of fharp hills and rocks, and which are never 

 thought fafe if commanded by any ground above them ; 

 in thefe they remain, as we do in cities, all the rainy feafon : 

 Nor is there a private perfon (not a foldier) who hath a tent 

 more than in Britain. In the fair feafon, the military en- 

 camp in all directions crofs the country, either to levy taxes, 

 or in fearch of their enemy ; but nothing in this is particu- 

 lar to Abyfiinia ; in moil parts of Africa and Afia they do 

 the fame. 



H 2 The 



