47^ TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



duftry of the inhabitants, who, by different machines, raife 

 water from the ftream. 



We are not to attribute to Poncet, but to thofe who pub- 

 lifhed, the ftory here put into father Brevedent's mouth about 

 the fugitive Chriflians in Nubia, which fable gave rife to 

 the firfl inftitution of the Ethiopic miffion. " It drew tears, 

 " fays he, from the eyes of father Brevedent, my dear com- 

 " panion, when he reflected that it was not long fmce this 

 " was a Chriflian country; and that it had not loft the faith 

 " but only for want of fome perfon who had zeal enough 

 " to confecrate himfelf to the inflruction of this abandoned 

 " nation." He adds, that upon their way they found a 

 great number of hermitages and churches half ruined ; a 

 fiction derived from the fame fource. 



Dongola was taken, and apoftatized early, and the flones 

 of hermitages and churches had long before this been car- 

 ried off, and applied to the building of mofques. Father 

 Brevedent, therefore, if he wept for any fociety of Chriflians 

 at Dongola, muft have wept for thofe that had perifhed 

 there 500 years before. 



Poncet was much carefTed at Dongola for the cures 

 he made there. The Mek, or king, of that city wifhed him 

 much to flay and fettle there ; but defifled out of refpedr, 

 when he heard he was going to the emperor of Ethiopia, 

 Dongola, Poncet has placed rightly on the eaflern bank of 

 the Nile, about lat. 20 22'. 



The caravan departed from Dongola on the 6th of January 

 5699 ; four days after which they entered into the kingdom 



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