THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 501 



The Abyffinian hiftory begins now to rid itfelf of part of 

 that confufion which is almoft a conftant attendant upon 

 the very few annals yet preferved of barbarous nations in 

 very ancient times. It is certain, from their hiftory, that 

 Bazen was contemporary with Auguftus, that he reigned 

 fixteen years, and that the birth of our Saviour fell on the 

 8th year of that prince, fo that the 8th year of Bazen was 

 thefirftof Chrift. 



Amha Yasous, prince of Shoa, a province to which the 

 fmall remains of the line of Solomon fled upon a cata- 

 ftrophe, I fhall have occafion to mention, gave me the fol- 

 lowing lift of the kings of Abyffinia fince the time of which 

 we are tyow fpeaking. From him I procured all the books 

 of the Annals of Abyffinia, which have ferved me to com- 

 pofe this hiftory, excepting two, one given me by the King, 

 the other the Chronicle of Axum, by Ras Michael Gover- 

 nor of Tigrd 



SHOA 



