THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 243 



ation, it being an eftablhhed law, that no perfon can fuo 

 ceed to the throne, as to the prieflhood, without being per- 

 fect in all his limbs. Za Denghel, as he could not adopt fo 

 inhuman a procedure even with a rival, contented himiglf 

 with only baniming Jacob to Narea. 



Ever fince that- period of Menas's reign, when Sa- 

 mur, bafna of Mafuah, had been put in pofTemon of Dobar- 

 wa in virtue of a treaty with Ifaac Baharnagaih, then in 

 rebellion, the jCatholic religion was left deflitute of all fup- 

 port, the fathers that had remained in Abymnia being dead, 

 and the entry into that kingdom fhut up by the violent ani- 

 mofity of the Turks, and the cruelties they exercifed upon all 

 miiuonaries that fell into their hands. The few Catholics 

 that remained were abfolutely deprived of all amilance, 

 when Melchior Sylvanus, an Indian vicar of the church of 

 JSt Anne at Goa, was pitched upon as a proper perfon to be 

 Fent to their relief. His language, colour, ealtern air and 

 manners, feemed to promife that he would fucceed, and 

 baffle the vigilance of the Turks. 



He arrived at Mafuah in 1597, an( ^ entere'd Abyflinia un* 

 fufpected; but the power of the Turk being much lefTened 

 by the great defeat given them by Sertza Denghel, who flew 

 Cad ward Baiha, and retook Dobarwa and all its dependencies, 

 as has been already mentioned, a very confiderable part of 

 their former dangers, the mifTionaries might now hope to 

 efcape. But there flill remained others obflruciing the com- 

 munication with India, which, however, were furmount- 

 able, and gave way, as moil of the kind do, to prudence, 

 courage, and perfeverance. 



Hll2 AcCOKDINGLYj 



