THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. S3 



and, corruptly in vulgar maps and writings, the Bay of 

 Bayloul. 



The kingdom of Dancali is bounded on the eaft at Azab 

 by part of the kingdom of Adel, and the myrrh country. 

 The king is a Mahometan, as are all his fubjects. They are 

 called Taltal, are all black, and only fome of them woolly- 

 headed ; a circumftance which probably arifes from a mix- 

 ture with the Abyflinians, whofe hair is long. There are but 

 two fmall rivers of frefh water in the whole kingdom ; and 

 even thefe are not vifible above ground in the hot feafon, but 

 are fw allowed up in the fand, fo as to be dug for when 

 water is wanted. In the rainy feafon, thefe are fwollen by 

 rain falling from the fides of the mountains and from the 

 high lands of Abyflinia, and then only they run with a cur- 

 rent into the fea. All the reft of the water in this country 

 is fait, or brackiih, and not fit for ufe, unlefs in abfolute ne- 

 ceflity and dry years. Even thefe fometimes fail, and they 

 are obliged to feek, far off in the rainy frontiers of Abyfli- 

 nia, water for themfelves, and pafture for their miferable 

 goats and fheep. 



When the Indian trade flourifhed, this prince's revenue 

 arofe chiefly from furniflring camels for the tranfport of 

 merchandife to all parts of Africa. Their commerce is now 

 confined to the carrying bricks of folid, or foffile fait, dug 

 from pits in their own country, which, in Abyffinia, pafs in- 

 ftead of filver currency ; thefe they deliver at the nearefl 

 market in the high lands at a very moderate profit, after ha- 

 ving carried them from the fea-fide through the dry and 

 burning deferts of their own country, at the great rifk of 

 being murdered by Galla. 



L 2 The 



