THE; SOURCE) OF THE NILE, 261 
Ir is uncertain whence they derived the names of their 
months; they have no fignification in any of the languages 
of Abyflinia. ._The name of the firft month among the old 
Egyptians has continued to thisday. It is Tot, probably fo 
called from the firft divifion of time among the Egyptians, 
from obfervation of the helaical rifing of the dog-ftar.. ‘The 
names of the months retained in Abyflinia are poflibly in 
antiquity prior to this ; they are probably thofe given them 
by the Cufhite, before the Kalendars at Thebes and Meroé, 
their colony, were formed.. | 
Tue common epoch which the Abyflinians make ufe of 
is from the creation of the world ;. but in the quantity of 
this period they do not agree with the Greeks, nor with 
other eaftern nations, who reckon 5508 years from the crea- 
tion to the birth of Chrift. The Abyflinians adopt the even 
number of 5500 years, cafting away the odd eight years ; 
but whether this was firft done for eafe of calculation, or 
fome betier reafon, there is neither book nor tradition that 
now can teach us. They have, befides this, many other e- 
pochs, fuchas from the council of Nice and Ephefus. There 
is ikewife to be met with in their books a portion of time, 
which is certainly a cycle; the Ethiopic word is kamar, 
which, literally interpreted, is an arch, orcircle. It is not 
now in ufe in civil life among the Abyflinians, and there- 
fore was mentioned as containing various quantities from 
100 years to 19; and there are places in their hiftory where 
neither of thefe will apply, nor any even number what- 
ever. 
Tury make ufe of the golden number and epact con- 
flantly in all their ecclefiaftic computations: the firft they 
cal} 
