THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 287 
priefts in Abyflinia that have been detected there, in thefe 
fatter days, have been ftoned to death, and their bodies lie 
full in the ftreets of Gondar, in the fquares or watte-places, 
covered with the heaps of ftones which occafioned their 
death by being thrown at them. There are three of thefe 
heaps at the church of Abbo, all covering Francifcan friars; 
and, befides them, a fmall pyramid over a boy who was 
ftoned to death with them, about the firft year of the reign 
of David the IV. * This boy was one of four fons that 
one of the Francifcan friars had had by an Aby‘iinian: 
woman in the reign of Outtas. In Perfia we find, that Pa- 
gorafus (according to Ctefias +) was ftoned to death by the 
order of the king; and the fame author fays, that Pharna- 
eyas, one of the murderers of aaa was ftoned to death 
hkewife. 
Amone capital punifhments may be reckoned likewife 
the plucking out of the eyes, a cruelty which I have but too: 
often feen: committed in the fhort ftay that I made in Abyf- 
finia. This.is generally inflicted upon rebels. I have al- 
ready mentioned, that, after the flaughter of the battle of 
Fagitta, twelve chiefs of the Pagan Galla, taken prifoners by 
Ras Michael, had their eyes torn out, and were afterwards a- 
bandoned to ftarve in the valleys below the town. Several pri- 
foners of another rank, noblemen of Tigré, underwent the 
fame misfcrtune ; and, what is wonderful, not one of them 
died in the operation, nor its confequences, though perform- 
ed in the coarfeft manner with an iron forceps, or pincers. 
Bi by Xenophon 
% See this hiftory of Abyffinia in vit. David IV.. — } Vide Ctefiani Hockeriin. 
