552 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and are fervants in all the great houfes of Abymnia. They 

 are inftructed early in the Chriftian religion, and the talleft, 

 handfomefl, and bell inclined, are the only fervants that at- 

 tend the royal perfon in his palace. The number of the men 

 was 300 that had horfes in my time. They were once 280, 

 and, before my time, lefs than 200. Tlrefe are all cloath- 

 ed in coats of mail, and mounted on black horfes ; always 

 commanded by foreigners devoted entirely to the king's 

 will. By ftricl: attention to their morals, removing all bad 

 examples from among them, giving premiums to thofe 

 that read mofl and belt, (for they had all time enough up- 

 on their hands, efpecially in winter) and, above all, by the 

 great delight and pleafure the king ufed to take in conver- 

 fing with them while alone, countenancing and rewarding 

 them in the line he knew I followed, this body became, as 

 to firmnefs and coolnefs in action, equal perhaps to any of 

 the fame number in the world ; and the greatefl difficulty 

 was keeping them together, for all the great men ufed to 

 willi one of them for the charge of his door, which is a very 

 great trull among the Abyflinians. The king's ealinefs was 

 conflantly prevailed upon to promife fuch, and great incon- 

 venience always followed this, till Ras Michael difcharged 

 this practice by proclamation, and fet the example, by re- 

 turning four that he himfelf had kept for the purpofe be- 

 fore mentioned. 



While what I have faid is flill in memory, I muft apply 

 a part of it to explain a paflage in Hanno's Periplus. We 

 law, fays that bold navigator, when rowing clofe along the 

 coaft of Africa, rivers of fire, which ran down from the high- 

 cft mountains, and poured themfelves into the fea ; this 

 2 alarmed 



