THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 85 
trench, and the road winds fpirally up the hill till it ends 
among the houfes. 
Tus town, with a large diftrict, and a confiderable num- 
ber of villages, belonged formerly to the Baharnagath, and 
was one of the ftrong places under his command. After- 
wards, when his power came to be weakened, and his office 
in difrepute by his treafonable behaviour in the war of the 
Turks, and civil war that followed it, during the Portuguefe 
fettlement in the reign of Socinios, the Turks poffefling the 
fea-ports, and being often in intelligence with him, it 
was thought proper to wink at the ufurpations of the gover- 
nors of Tigré, who, little by little, reduced this office to be 
dependent cn their power. 
Dixan, prefuming upon its ftrength, declared for inde- 
pendence in the time the two parties were contending ; and,. 
as it was inhabited moftly by Mahometans, it was fecretly 
fupported by the Naybe. Michael Suhul, however, governor 
of Tigré, in the reign of king Yafous IL. invefted it with a: 
large army of horfe and foot; and, as it hadnowater butwhat 
was in the valley below, the general defe& of thefe lofty 
_fituations, he furrounded the town, encamping upon the 
edge of the valley, and inclofed all the water within his line 
ef circumvallation, making ftrong pofts at every watering- 
place, defended by fire-arms.. 
He then fent to them a buffoon, or dwarf, defiring them to: 
farrender within two hours. The paflions of the inhabi- 
tants were, however, raifed by expectations of fuccour from 
the Naybe ; and they detefted Michael above every thing 
that.could be imagined. They, therefore, whipt the dwarf, 
and. 
