THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 185 
coaft of the Red Sea. The fun here is indeed hot, but in 
the morning a cool breeze never fails, which increafes 
as the fun rifes high. In the fhade it is always cool. 
The thermometer, in the fhade, in the plain of St Michael, 
this day, was 76°, wind N. W. : 
Lama.imon, as I have faid, is the pafs through which the 
road of all caravans to Gondar lies. It is here they take an ac- 
count of all baggage and merchandife, which they tranfmit 
to the Negadé Ras, or chief officer of the cuftoms at Gon- 
_ dar, by a man whom they fend to accompany the caravan. 
There is alfo a prefent, or awide, due to the private proprie- 
tor of the ground; and this is levied with great rigour and 
violence, and, for the moft part, with injuftice ; fo that this 
ftation, which, by the eftablifhment of the cuftomhoufe, and 
nearnefs to the capital, fhould be in a particular manner at- 
tended to by government, is always the place where the firft 
robberies and murders are committed in unfettled times. 
Though we had nothing with us which could be confider- 
ed as fubject to duty, we fubmitted every thing to the will 
of the robber of the place, and gave him his prefent. If he 
was not fatisfied, he feemed to be fo, which was all we 
wanted. | . 
We had obtained leave to depart early in the morning of 
the oth, but it was with great regret we were obliged to 
abandon our Mahometan friends into hands that feemed 
difpofed to fhew them no favour. The king was in Maitfha, 
or Damot, that is to fay, far from Gondar, and various re- 
ports were {pread abroad about the fuccefs of the campaign; ~ 
and thefe people only waited for an unfavourable event to 
Vou. IIL. Aa make 
