THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 45 t 



turned to Gondar by Dingleber. He then gave 2000 cattle 

 to the churches of Tecla Haimanout and Yafous, being near- 

 ell the king's palace, to the Itchegue Hannes, the judges 

 and principal fervants of his houfehold, to all a fhare, with- 

 out referring one to himfelf. And the rains being now very 

 conftant, (for it was the 25th of June) he refolved to conti- 

 nue the reft of the winter in Gondar to regulate the affairs 

 of the church. 



This year the king refumed his expedition againft the 

 Shangalla, towards which he had taken feveral preparatory 

 fleps, while he was projecting the furprife of the Zeegam. 

 Thefe are the Troglodytes on the eaftern part of Abyffinia, 

 towards the Red Sea, fouth of Walkay t, Sire, Tigre, and Ba- 

 harnagam, till they are there cut off by the mountains of 

 the Habab. Thefe, the moft powerful of all their tribes, are 

 comprehended under the general name of Dobenab ; the tribe 

 Baafa, which we have already fpoken of as occupying the 

 banks of the Tacazze, are the only partners they have in 

 the peninfula formed by that river and the Mareb. Their 

 country and manner of life have been already abundantly 

 defcribed. It is all called Kolla, in oppofition to Daga, which 

 is the general name of the mountainous parts of Abyffinia. 



The king, being informed by Kafmati Claudius that 

 there was water in great plenty at Betcoom, marched from 

 Gondar the 29th of October to Deba, thence to Koflbgue, af- 

 ter to Tamama. He then turned to the left to a village 

 called Sidre, nearer to the Shangalla. From this ftation he 

 forbade the lighting fires in the camp, and took the road 

 leading to the Mareb; then turning to the left, the ill of 

 December he furprifed a village called Kunya. The king 



3 L 2 was 



