312 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
From the defcent of Moura, after leaving Debra Tzai, and 
Kofcam, all was thick woods till we arrived at Tcherkin ; 
the roads very rugged and broken, but the weather was J 
exceedingly pleafant; for though the thermometer was ae 
fometimes at 115°, it was always cool in the fhade; and 
by the fide of every river there was a frefh gentle breeze 
from N.E. efpecially at mid-day. The mornings were al- 
ways calm, or with little wind at N. E. It regularly chan- 
ged about nine to N. W. and then fell calm. About four in 
the afternoon it generally was at weft or near it; but two 
currents were conftantly diftinguifhed at night; the lower 
N. E. veering eafterly towards morning; while the white 
fmall clouds very thin and high, coming very rapidly from 
the S. W. fhewed the direction and ftrength of the higher 
current. The mornings and nights were cloudy from the 
the firft of January, but the days perfectly ferene. 
On Wednefday the eighth of January, having rectified my 
quadrant with great attention, I found the latitude of Tcher- 
kin, by a meridian altitude of the fun, to be 13° 7 30 No 3 
and taking a mean between that and the meridian altitude 
of eleven different ftars, the following night, I found the true 
latitude of Tcherkin Amba to be 13° 7’ 35” north. But though 
from that time I was ready to depart, I could not pofiibly 
get difengaged from my friends, but by a compofition, which 
was, that I fhould ftay till the 15th, the day before Ozoro 
Efther and her company were to fet out on their return toe 
Gondar; and that they, on'their part, fhould fuffer me to 
depart on that day, without further perfwafion, or throwing 
any obftacle whatever in my way., The king had recom- 
mended to them this fort of agreement, if I was obftinate, 
and this being fettled, we abandoned ourfelves to mirth and 
feftivity. 
CHAP. 
