THE SOURCE OE THE NILE. 53* 



he himfelf had often vifited them, and was convinced the un- 

 dertaking was very poffible with fucli hands, and in the cir- 

 cumftances things then were. He told me likewife, that, in a 

 written account which he had feen in Shoa, it was faid that 

 this prince was not interrupted by death in his underta- 

 king, but perfuaded by the monks, that if a greater quan* 

 tity of water was let down into the dry kingdoms of Hadea, 

 Mara, and Adel, increafing in population every day, and, 

 even now, almoft equal in power to Abymnia itfelf, thefe 

 barren kingdoms would become the garden of the world ; 

 and fuch a number of Saracens, diflodged from Egypt by 

 the firft appearance of the Nile's failing, would fly thither ': 

 that they would not only withdraw thofc countries from 

 their obedience, but be ftrong enough to over-run the whole 

 kingdom of Abymnia. Upon this, as Amha Yafous informed 

 me, Lalibala gave over his firft fcheme, which was the fa* 

 miihing of Egypt ; and that his next was employing the 

 men in fubterraneous churches ; a ufelefs expente, but more 

 level to the underftanding of common men than the for- 

 mer. 



Don Roderigo de Lima, ambafTauor from the king of 

 Portugal, in 1522 faw the remains of thefe vail works, and 

 travelled in them feveral days, as we learn from Alvarez 

 the chaplain and hiftorian of that embaffy*, which we fhall 

 take notice of in its proper place. 



Lalibala was diftinguifhed both as a poet and an ora- 

 tor. The old fable, of a fwarm of bees hanging to his lips 



3X2 in 



* See Alvarez, his relation of this Embafly, 



