THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 559 
an hour ; our friends were, like us, willing to meet and will- 
_ ing to part, only I ordered Strates to fufpend his firing for 
that day, left it fhould procure us another interview, which: 
we by no means courted.. 
We had halted by the fide of a {mall river which falls. 
into the Affar; and a little before one o’clock we came to. 
the Affar itfelf. The Affar, as I have already faid, is the 
fouthern boundary of Arooffi, as Kelti is the northern ; and: 
as Arooffi is the fouthern diftrict of Maitfha on the weft fide: 
of the Nile, it follows. that the Affar is the fouthern bounda-- 
_ ry of Maitfha. 5 
On the other fide of this river begins the province of 
Goutto, which, according to the ancient rules of govern+ 
ment before Ras Michael deftroyed all diftinCtions, depend-. 
ed on the province of Damot ; whereas Maitfha belonged to- 
the office of Betwudet fince Fafil had appropriated both to him-- 
felf by force, as well as the whole country of the Agows,. 
which he had poffeffled by the fame title ever fince the battle 
of Banja: theinhabitants of Goutto are the ancient natives of 
that country; they are not Galla as thofe of Maitfha, but 
much more civilized and better governed. The language of 
the Agowand the Amharic are thetwo chiefly fpoken in Gout--. 
to, though there are diftant places towards the Jemma on the 
fide of the Nile, where they {peak that of the Falafha likewife.. 
The people in Goutto are richer and better lodged than: 
thofe of the neighbouring Maitfha; their whole country 
is full of cattle of the largeit fize, exceedingly beautiful, and. 
of all the different colours ; there are fome places likewife 
where their honey is excellent, equal to any in the country. 
ef the Agows, but the greateft quantity of.it is of low price 
: and. 
