THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. Lol 
panty of about twenty’ armed men on horfeback. . The 
Shangalla, the, ancient Cufhites, are all the way on our 
right-hand, and frequently venture incurfions into the flat 
scountry that was before us. This was the latt piece of at- 
tention of the Baharnagafh, who fentr his, party to guard us 
from danger in the plain. It awakened us from our fecuri- 
ty; we examined carefully the ftate of our fire-arms ; cleaned 
-and charged them anew, which we had not done Gale the 
edays ‘we left Dixan. 
Tus fivft p part of our journey to-day was inja deep gully; 
_and,.in halfan hour, we enteredinto avery pleafant wood of 
-acacia-trees, then in flower. In itlikewife wasja tree, in:{mell 
like a honeyfuckle, whofe large white flower nearlyrefembles 
that of a caper. We came out of this wood into the plain, 
eand;:afcended two eafy hills; upon the top.of thefe:-were 
two huge rocks, in the holes.of which, and within a large 
-cave,a number of the blue fork-tailed {wallows had begun 
their nefts. Thefe,and probably many, if not all the, birds of - 
paflage, breed twice in the year, which feems.a provifion a- 
gainft the lofles made, by. emigration perfectly confonant 
to divine wifdom. tIhefe rocks are, by fome, faid,to be the 
boundaries of the command of the Baharnagath on this fide ; 
though others extend them to the Balezat. 
We entered again a flraggling wood, fo overgrown with 
wild-oats. that it covered the men and their horfes. The plain 
here is very wide., It reaches down on the weft toiSerawe, 
then diftant about twelve miles. It extends from Goum- 
bubba as far fouth as Balezat. The foil is excellent ; 
but fuch flat countries are very rare in Abyflinia. This, 
which is one of the fineft and wideftt, is abandoned without 
culture 
