THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. I93 



It was in the 13th year of the reign of Claudius, while 

 he was at Sire, that there happened a very remarkable eclipfe 

 of the fun, which threw both court and army into great 

 consternation. The prophets and diviners, ignorant monks 

 of the defert, did not let flip fo favourable an opportunity of 

 increafmg their confequence by augmenting this panic, and 

 declaring this eclipfe to portend nothing lefs than the re- 

 newal of the Moorifh war. The year, however, paffed in 

 tranquillity and peace. Two old women, relations of the 

 king, are faid to have died ; and it was in this great cala- 

 mity that thefe diviners were to look for the completion of 

 their prophecies. It is from this, however, that I have ta- 

 ken an opportunity to compare and rectify the dates of the 

 principal tranfaclions in the Abyflinian hiftory. Sire, where 

 the king then refided, was a point very favourable for this 

 application ; for, in my journey from Mafuah to Gondar, 

 Iliad fettled the latitude and longitude of that town by ma- 

 ny obfervations. 



On the 2^d of January 1770, at night, by a medium of 

 different pafTages of ftars over the meridian, and by an obfer- 

 vation of the fun the noon of the following day, I found 

 the latitude to be 14 4' 35" north, and the evening of the 

 23d, I obferved an emerfion of the firft fatellite of Jupiter, 

 and by this I concluded theiongkude of Sire to be 38 o' 15" 

 eaft of the meridian of Greenwich. 



'The 13th year of the reign of Claudius falls to be in the 

 13:53, aiK * I find that there was a remarkable eclipfe of the 

 fun that did happen that fame year on the 24th of Januafy 

 N. S. which anfwers to the 18th of theEthiopic month Teir. 

 The circumftances of this eclipfe were as follow : 



Vol. IL B b Beginning, 



