THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 143 



ing much for want of every fort of provifion but water ; 

 whereas twenty-four hours of any wind would have car- 

 ried him to Mafuah, to his journey's end; where, if he had 

 loft the monfoon, he would ftill have had great abundance 

 of necefTaries, and been in the way every moment of pro- 

 moting the wifhes of his mailer. 



Lopez i>e Segueyra fucceeded the ignorant Suarez,. who 

 had returned to India. He fitted out a ftrong fleet at Goa, 

 with which he entered the Red Sea, and failed for the ifland 

 of Mafuah, where he arrived the 16th of April 1520, having 

 Matthew along with him. Upon the firfl approach of the 

 fleet, the inhabitants, both of the ifland and town, abandon^ 

 ed them, and fled to Arkeeko on the main land. Segueyra 

 having remained before Mafuah a few days without com- 

 mitting any hoftilities, there came at laft to him a Chriflian 

 and a Moor from the continent ; who informed him that 

 the main-land, then before him, was part of the kingdom of 

 Abyflinia, governed by an officer called Baharnagaih : they 

 added, that the reafon of their flying at the fight of the fleet- 

 was, that the Turks frequently made defcents, and ravaged 

 the ifland ; but that all the inhabitants of the continent 

 were Chriftians. The Portuguefe general was very joyful* 

 on this intelligence, and began to treat Matthew more hu- 

 manely, finding how truly and exactly he had defcribed 

 thefe places. He gave, both to the Chriflian and Moor that 

 came off to him, a rich veil ; commended them for having 

 fled to Arkeeko rather than expofe themfelves to an attack, 

 from the Turks, but directed them to allure the people 011 

 the continent, that they too were all Chriftians, and under 

 the command of the king of Abyflinia ; being arrived; 



there 



