THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 587 



The Abuna is the head of the Abyffinian church ; yet, 

 as he is known to be a flave of the Mahometans, upon his 

 firft arrival, and permiflion obtained from the king, the af- 

 fembly meets in a large outer court, or fquare, before the 

 palace, where he is interrogated, and where he declares 

 which of the two opinions he adopts. If he has been pro- 

 perly advifed, he declares for the ruling and ftrongeft party ; 

 though fometimes he is determined, by the addrefs of thofe 

 about him, to fide with the weakeft ; and very often, if he 

 has had no inftruclion on his arrival, he does not know what 

 this reference means ; for no trace of fuch difpute exifts a- 

 mong his brethren in Cairo, from whence he came. He is, 

 moreover, a flranger to the language, and the words con- 

 taining either opinion, which, for fhortnefs fake, are made 

 to mean a great deal more than they at firft feem to import ; 

 and, whether freely or literally tranflated, are equally unin- 

 telligible to a foreigner. After the Abuna has declared his 

 choice, this is announced by beat of drum to the people, 

 and is called Nagar Haimanout, or, the Proclamation of the 

 Faith. The only ordinary effect this declaration has, is to 

 make the perfon who is at the head of one party an ad- 

 verfary to him who is the head of the other, all his life 

 after. 



The king at his acceflion makes his declaration alfo. 

 The clergy maintain, that he mould do this in an afTembly 

 called for that purpofe, though the king denies that there 

 is any neceflity for the clergy to be prefent ; but he confi- 

 ders it as his privilege to choofe his own time and place, 

 and announces it to the people, by proclamation, at what 

 time, and in what manner, he thinks moft convenient. 



4 E 2 Although 



