THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 263 
THE men in Egypt* did neither buy nor fell; the fame is 
the cafe in Abyffinia at this day. It is infamy for aman to 
go to market to buy any thing. He cannot carry water 
er bake bread; but he mutt: wath the cloaths belonging to 
both fexes, and, in this function, the women cannot help 
him. In Abyffinia the men carried their burdens on their 
heads, the women. on. their fhoulders, and this difference, 
we are told, obtained in Egyptt.. It is plain, that this buying, 
in the public market, by women, muft have ended whenever 
jealoufy. or fequeftration of that fex began ; for this reafon 
it ended ‘early.in- Egypt, but; for the oppofite reafon, it fub-- 
fifts:in-Abyflinia to this day... 
Ir was a fort of impiety in Egypr to eat'a calf; and the 
reafon was plain, they worfhipped the cow. In Abyffinia, to 
this day, no man eats.veal, although every one very willing- 
ly eats a cow.. The Egyptiant reafon no longer fubfifts as 
-in the former cafe, but the. Lapin remains, though they 
have Heer the reafon.. 
Tuer Abyffinians eat no wild or water-fowl, not even tlre 
goofe, which-was a great delicacy.in Egypt. The reafon of 
this is, that, upon: their: converfion to Judaifm, they were 
-forced:-to:relinquifh their ancient municipal cuftoms; as far 
as they were contrary to the Mofaical law; and the animals, 
in their country, not correfponding in form, kind, nor name, 
with thofe mentioned‘in the Septuagint, or original Hebrew, 
fe it. 
*Herodot. lib, ii. p. 107. fed. 35. + Herodot. lib. ii. p, ror, fe. 35. 
t Herodot. lib, ii, p. ro4. fe, 4te 
e 
