132 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
upon Yafous’s defeat at Sennaar, and reftored afterwards up=. 
on an embafly fent thither on purpofe, no doubt, fOr a.va- 
luable confideration. 
Wiruiwn the outer gate-of the church, below the fteps, are 
three {mall {quare inclofures, all of granite, with {mall o¢ta- 
gon pillars in the angles, apparently Egyptian ; on the top 
of which formerly were {mall images of the dog-ftar, proba- 
bly of metal. Upon a ftone, in the middle of one of thefe; 
the king fits, and is crowned, and always. has been fince the 
days of Paganifm ; and below it, where: he naturally places. 
his feet, is a large oblong flab like a hearth, which is not: 
of granite, but of free ftone. The infcription, though much, 
defaced, may fafely be reftored.. 
NTOAEMAIOY EVERTETOY 
BAZIAEQS 
’ Poncet has maiieicen this laft word for Bafilius; but he did: 
not pretend to be a {cholar, and was ignorant of the hiftory, 
of this country.. 
Axum is watered by a {mall ftream, which flows all the 
year from a fountain in the narrow valley, where ftand; 
the rows of obelifks. The {pring is received into a: magni-. 
ficent bafon of 150,feet {quare, and thence it is carried, at 
pleafure, to water the neighbouring gardens, where there- 
is little fruit, excepting pomegranates, neither are thefe. 
very excellent,. | 
Tus prefent town of Axum ftands at the foot of the hij, 
and may have about fix hundred houfes, There are feveral 
manufactures. 
