THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. i 3 j 



viom- Nor was it till 15 13, after he had ftaid three years in 

 India, that he got leave to proceed to Portugal by a fleet 

 returning home loaded with fpices* 



Damiantjs Ggez the hiflorian, though apparently a man 

 of good fenfe and candour, cannot conjecture why this Ar- 

 menian was fent as an ambaffador, and willies to be refol- 

 ved why not an Abyfimian nobleman. But it is obvious 

 from the character I have already given of him, there could 

 be nobody in the emprefs's power that had half his qualifi- 

 cations .;.. and,, befides, an Abyflinian nobleman would not 

 have ventured to go, as knowing very well that everywhere 

 beyond the limits of his own country he would have been 

 without protection, and the firft Turk in whofe power he 

 might have fallen would have fold him for a. Have. In no 

 other character is any of his nation feen, either in Arabia 

 or India, and his mafter has no treaty with any ftate what- 

 ever. Add to this, that an Abyflinian fpeaks no language 

 but his own, which is not underftood out of his own country;; 

 and is abfolutely ignorant even of -the exiflence of other f ar. 

 dift ant nations. . 



But, belides, there was an Abyflinian fent with 'Matthew^ 

 who died; and here Damianus Goez's wonder fhould ceafe.- 



The fame ill-fortune,- which had attended Matthew in? 

 India, followed him in his voyage to Portugal. The Cap- 

 tains of the fhips contended with each other who fhould. 

 behave worft to him ; and, in the midft of all this ilLtreat- 

 ment, the fhip which he was on board of arrived at Lifbon. 

 The king, upon hearing the particulars of this illiifage,'. 

 immediately put the' offenders in irons, where they had,: 



probably, , 



