THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 105 



piers, or caravans; Dengui, ajione, or rock; Angueah, a tree of 

 that name ; Anzo, a crocodile ; and, at the fame time, all thefe 

 are names of Abyilinian rivers. 



It was at Benin, another Negro country, that the king 

 again received a confirmation of the exiftence of a Chriftian 

 prince, who was faid to inhabit the heart of Africa to the 

 fouth-eaft of. this Hate. The people of Benin reported him 

 to be a prince exceedingly powerful ; that his name was 

 Ogane, and his kingdom about 250 leagues to the eaftward. 

 They added, that the kings of Benin received from him a 

 brafs crofs and a ftaff as their inveftiture. It mould feem 

 that this Ogane is but a corruption of Jan, or Janhoi, which 

 title the eaflern Chriftians had given to the king of Abyf- 

 linia. But it is very difficult to account for the knowledge 

 of Abyflinia in the kingdom of Benin, not only on account 

 of the diftance, but likewife, becaufe feveral of the moft fa- 

 vage nations of the world, the Galla and Shangalla, occupy 

 the intervening fpace. 



The court of Abyflinia, as we mall fee afterwards, did, 

 indeed, then refide in Shoa, the fouth-eaft extremity of the 

 kingdom, and, by its power and influence, probably might 

 have pufhed its dominion through thefe barbarians, down 

 to the neighbourhood of Benin on the weftern ocean. But 

 all this I mufl confefs to be a fimple conjecture of mine, 

 of which, in the country itfelf, I never found the fmallefl 

 confirmation. 



Amha Yasous (prince of Shoa) being at court, on a vifit 

 to the king at Gondar, in the years 1770 and 1771, and the 

 ftri&eft friendfhip fubfifling between us, every endeavour 



Vol. II. O poffible 



