THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 387 
greatly exaggerated. Its greateft breadth is from Dingleber 
to Lamgue, which, in a line nearly eaft and weft, is 35 
miles ; but it decreafes greatly at each extremity, where it 
is not fometimes above ten miles broad. | Its greateft length 
is from Bab Baha to a little S$. W. and by W. of that part, 
where the Nile, after having croffed the end of it by a cur- 
rent always vifible, turns towards Dara in the territory of 
Alata, which is 49 miles from north to fouth, and which 
extent this lake has in length. In the dry months, from 
October to March, the lake fhrinks greatly in fize ; but 
after that all thofe rivers are full which are on every fide of 
it, and fall into the lake, like radii drawn to a center, then 
it fwells, and extends itfelf into the plain country, and has 
of courfe a much larger furtace. 
Tuere are forty-five inhabited iflands in the lake, if you 
believe the Abyflinians, who, in every thing, are very great 
liars. I conceive the number may be about eleven: the 
principal is Dek, or Daka, or Daga*, nearly in the middle 
of the lake; its true extent I cannot {pecify, never having 
been there. Befides Dek, the other iflands are Halimoon, 
nearer Gondar; Briguida, nearer Gorgora, and {till farther 
in Galila. All thefe iflands were formerly ufed as prifons 
for the great people, or for a voluntary retreat, on account of 
fome difguft or great misfortune, or as places of fecurity to 
depofit their valuable effects during troublefome times. 
When I was in Abyfiinia, a few weeks after what I have been 
relating, 1300 ounces of gold, confided by the queen to Wel- 
NCi2 | leta 
* Jt fignifies the hill, or high ground. 
