THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 559 
been occupied entirely by the lake, and we fee all over it 
marks that cannot be miftaken, fo that this large extent of 
water is vifibly upon the decreafe; and this agrees with 
what is obferved of ftagnant pools in general throughout the 
world. Dembea is called Atté-Kolla, the hing’s food, or main- 
tenance, its produce being afligned for the fupplying of 
the king’s houfehold. It is governed by an officer called 
Cantiba; it is a lucrative poft; but he is not reckoned one 
of the great officers of he verti and has no place in 
council. 
a from Dembea is Kuara, a very mountainous pro- 
vince confining upon the Pagan blacks, or Shangalla, called 
Gongas and Guba, the Macrobii of the ancients. It is a 
very unwholefome province, but abounding in gold, not of 
its own produce, but that of its neighbourhood, thefe Pa- 
gans—Guba, Nuba, and Shangalla. . Kuara fignifies the 
fun, and Beja (that is Atbara, and the low parts of Sennaar, 
the country of the Shepherds, adjoining) fignifies the moon, 
in the language of thefe Shangalla. Thefe names are fome 
remains of their ancient fuperftitions. Kuara was thé 
native country of the Iteghé, or queen-regent, of Kafmati 
Efhté, Welled de POul, Gueta, Eufebius, and Palambaras 
Mammo. 
_ In the low country of Kuara, near to Sennaar, there is a 
fettlement of Pagan blacks called Ganjar. They are moftly 
cavalry, and live entirely by hunting and plundering the 
Arabs of Atbara and Fazuclo. Their origin is this: Upon 
the invafion’ of the Arabs after the coming of Mahomet, the 
black flaves deferted from their maftets, the Shepherds, and 
£00k a their habitation, where'they have not confiderably 
rk ane" multiplied, 
