THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 313 
CHAP. XII. 
State of Religion—Circumcifion, Excifion, Sc, 
HERE is no country in the world where there are fo 
many churches as in Abyflinia. Though the country 
is very mountainous, and confequently the view much ob- 
ftructed,it is very feldom you fee lefs than five or fix churches, 
and, if you are on a commanding ground, five times that 
number. Every great man that dies thinks he has atoned 
for all his wickednefs if he leaves a fund to build a church, 
or has built one in his lifetime. The king builds many. 
Wherever a victory is gained, there a church is erected in 
the very field ftinking with the putrid bodies of the flain. 
Formerly this was only the cafe when the enemy was Pa- 
‘ganr Infidel ; now the fame is obferved when the victories 
are over Chriftians. 
Tue fituation of a church is always chofen near running 
water, for the convenience of their purifications and ablu- 
tions, in which they obferve ftri@tly the Levitical law. They 
are always placed upon the top of fome beautiful, raund 
Vor III. Rr hill, 
