128 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
Tuts calm I refolved to take advantage of, and to fet out 
immediately for Gondar. But the 17th of January was 
now at hand, on which the Aby/ffinians celebrate the feaft 
of the Epiphany with extraordinary rejoicings, and as ex- 
traordinary ceremonies, if we believe what their enemies 
have faid about their yearly repetition of baptifm. This 
I was refolved to verify with my own eyes; and as Alvarez, 
chaplain to the embafly from Don Emanuel, king of Portu- 
gal, to king David Ill. fays he was likewife prefent at it, the 
public will judge between two eye-witnefles which is like- 
heft to be true, when I come to give an account of the re- 
ligious rites of this people. Adowa is in lat. 14° 7’ 57” 
north, | 
On the 17th, we fet out from Adowa, refuming our jour- 
ney to Gondar; and, after pafling two {mall villages Adega 
Net, and Adega Daid, the firft about half a mile on our 
left, the fecond about three miles diftant on our right, we 
decamped at fun fet near a place called Bet Hannes, in 
a narrow valley, at the foot of two hills, by the fide of 
a {mall ftream. 
On the 8th, in the morning, we afcended one of thefe 
hills, through a very rough ftony road, and again came in- 
to the plain, wherein ftood Axum, once the capital of Abyf- 
finia, at leaft as it is fuppofed. For my part, I believe it to 
have been the magnificent metropolis of the trading peo- 
Re or Troglodyte Ethiopians called properly Cufhites, for 
the reafon I have already given, as the Abyffinians never 
built any city, nor do the ruins of any exift at this day in 
the whole country. But the black, or Troglodyte part of it, 
called in the language of {cripture Cufh, in many places 
2 | have 
4 - A 
ead . 
Kags 
he — Sean tay 
