216 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 
ge four, pafied the- village of that name, leaving it to. the- 
. E, and began the moft rugged and dangerous Heian Wer 
had met with fince Taranta. ' 
Ar half paft five in the evening we pitched our tent at; 
the foot of the hill, clofe by a fmall; but rapid and clear- 
ftream, which is called: Ribieraini.. This name was given: 
it by the banditti of the villages before mentioned, becaufe~ 
from this you fee two roads ; one leading from Gondar, that: 
is, from the weftward the other from the Red Sea to the: 
eaftward. One of the gang that ufed to. be upon the out-- 
look from this ftation, as foon as any caravan came in fight, 
cried out, Ribieraini, which in Tigre fignifies they are coming 
this way; upon which notice every one took: his lance and. 
fhield, and ftationed himfelf properly to fall with advan-. 
tage upon the unwary merchant; and it was acurrent reporrt,,, 
which his prefent greatnefs could not ftifle, that, in his. 
younger days, Ras Michael himfelf frequently was on thefe: 
expeditions at this place. On our right was the high, fteepy. 
and rugged mountain of Samayat,. which the fame Mi-. 
chael, being in rebellion, chofe for his place of ftrength,, 
and was there befieged and taken prifoner by the late king. 
Yafous. 
Tue rivulet of Ribieraini is the fource of the fertility of 
the country adjoining, as it is made to-overflow every part: 
of this plain, and furnifhes a perpetual ftore of grafs, which: 
is the reafon of the caravans chufing to ftop here. Two or. 
three harvefts are alfo obtained by means of this river; for;. 
provided there is water, they fow in Abyflinia in all feafons.. 
We perceived that we were now approching fome confider=- 
able town, by the great care with which every piece of fmall_ 
ground, 
