THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 153 



the Pythagorean prejudices againft that plant were forgot- 

 ten. 



It was on the 16th of April 1520 that Don Roderigo de 

 Lima landed in Abyflinia ; and it was the 16th of October 

 of the fame year when he arrived within fight of the king's 

 camp, diftant about three miles. The king had advanced, 

 as hath been faid, into Fatigar, about twenty- five miles from 

 the firft fair in the kingdom of Adel, and fomething lefs 

 than two hundred from the port of Zeyla. The ambaflador^ 

 after fo painful a journey, expected an immediate admiflion 

 into the king's prefence. Inftead of which, a great officer, 

 called the Hadug Ras *, which is chief or commander of the 

 afifes, was fent to carry him three miles farther diftant, 

 where they ordered him to pitch his tent, and five years palled 

 in the embafly afterwards before he procured his difmiffion. 



Alvarez accounts very lamely for this prodigious inter- 

 val of time ; and, excepting the celebration of the Epiphany, 

 he does not mention one remarkable occurrence in the 

 whole of this period. One would imagine their ftay had 

 not been above a month, and that one converfation only 

 paned upon bufinefs, which I mall here fet down as a fpe- 

 cimen of the humour the parties were in the one with the 

 other. 



The king carried the ambalTador to fee the church 

 Mecana SelalTe, the church of the Trinity, which was then 

 repairing, where many of the kings had been buried while 



Vol. II. U the 



* This is a name of humility. He is a great officer, and-has no care or charge of affesi 



