$8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
thing for his treacherous inclinations towards us, yet, for 
Achmet’s fake, and our friend Hagi Abdelcader’s, we made 
him a prefent of three pieces more. 
Ir is true of Dixan as, I believe, of moft frontier towns, 
that the bad people of both contiguous countries refort thi- 
ther. The town, as I before have faid, confifts of Moors 
and Chriftians, and is very well peopled ; yet the only trade 
of either of thefe fects is a very extraordinary one, that of 
felling of children. The Chriftians bring fuch as they have 
ftolen in Abyffinia to Dixan as to a fure depofit; and the 
Moors receive them there, and carry them to a certain mar- 
ket at Mafuah, whence they are fent over to Arabia or In- 
dia. The priefts of the province of Tigré, efpecially thofe 
near the rock Damo, are openly concerned in this infamous 
practice ; and fome of thefe have been licenfed by Michael 
to carry it on as a fair trade, upon paying fo many firelocks 
for each dozen or {core of flaves. : 
Noruine can elucidate the footing upon which this 
trade ftands better than a tranfaction which happened 
while I was in Ethiopia, and which reached Gondar by 
way of complaint from Mafuah, and was told me by M:- 
chael himfelf. | 
Two priefts of Tigre, whofe names I have forgot, had 
been long intimate friends. They dwelt near the rock Da- 
mo. The youngeft was married, and had qwo children, 
both fons ; the other was old, and had none.. The old one 
reproved his friend one day for keeping his children at 
home idle, and not putting them to fome profeflion by 
which they might gain their bread. The married prieft 
4 pleaded 
