THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 321 



fpect. which he fliewed to the king of Abyflinia, though he 

 was neither his fubject nor vaflal. He inquired much after 

 the king's health, and flood a little by the ambaflador and 

 Fernandes, fpeaking by an interpreter. Afterwards he a- 

 gain returned to his balcony, fat down there, read his 

 letter, and then correfponded with the ambaflador by mef- 

 ages fent from above to them below. 



It is impoflible to conceive from this, or any thing that 

 Fernandes fays, whether the language of Gingiro is pecu- 

 liar to that country or not. The king of Gingiro read So- 

 cinios's letter, which was either in the Tigre or Arabic lan- 

 guage. Fernandes underftood the Arabic, and Fecur Egzie 

 the Tigre and Amharic. It is not poflible, then, to know 

 what was the language of the king of Gingiro, who read 

 and underftood Socinios's letter, but fpoke to Fecur Egzie by 

 an interpreter. 



At laft the king of Gingiro told them, that all contained 

 in the king of Abyflinia's letter was, that he fhouldufe them 

 well, give them good guard and protection while they were 

 in his country, and further them on their journey ; which 

 he faid he would execute with the greatefl pleafure and 

 punctuality. 



The next day, as is ufual, the ambaflador and miflionary 

 carried the king's prefent, chints, calicoe, and other manufac- 

 tures of India, things that the king efteemed molt In re- 

 turn to Fernandes he fent a young girl, whom the father 

 returned, it not being cuftomary, as he faid, for a Chriftian 

 prieft to have girls in his company. In exchange for the 

 girl, the good-natured king of Gingiro fent him a flave of 



Vol. II. S f the 



