266 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



all the proprietors of the neighbouring lands, and viiits the 

 bounds with them ; they kill a goat at particular diftances, 

 and bury the heads under ground upon the boundary line 

 of this regality; which heads, Paez fays, it is felony to dig, 

 up or remove; and this is a mark or gift of land in perpe- 

 tuity." 



Without contradicting the form of burying the goats 

 heads, I mall only fay, I never faw or heard of it, nor is there 

 fuch a thing as a gift of land inperpetuum known in Abyffi- 

 nia. All the land is the king's ; he gives it to whom he 

 pleafes during pleafure, and refumes it when it is his will. 

 As foon as he dies the whole land in the kingdom (that of 

 the Abuna excepted) is in the difpofal of the crown; and 

 feot only fo, but, by the death of every prefent owner, his 

 polfemons, however long enjoyed, revert to the king, and 

 do not fall to the eldeft fon.. It is by proclamation the pof- 

 feffion and property is reconveyed to the heir, who thereby 

 becomes abfolute mafter of the land for his own life or 

 pleafure of the king, under obligation of military and other 

 fervices ; and that exception, on the part of the Abuna, is 

 not in refpect to the fanctity of his perfon, or charge, but 

 becaufe it is founded upon treaty*, and is become part of the 

 conftitution. 



The Abyffinians faw, with the utmoft aftoniihment, the- 

 erection of a convent ftrongly built with ftone and lime, of 

 which before they had no knowledge, and their wonder 

 was ftili increafed, when, at defire of the king, Paez under- 

 took 



* We haye mentioned this treaty in the reign of Icon Amlac, 



