( 
i 
THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 635 
worft kind of thorn, hide the mouths of the caverns above 
mentioned, even from fight; there is no other communica- 
tion with the houfes either from above or below, but by 
narrow-winding fheep-paths, which through thefe thorns 
are very difficult to be difcerned, for all are allowed to be over- 
grown with the utmoft wildnefs, as a part of their defence ; 
_ lofty and large trees (moft of them of the thorny kind) tower 
‘high up above the edge of the cliff, and feem to be a fence 
againft people falling down into the plain; thefe are all at 
their proper feafon covered with. flowers of different forts 
and colours, fo are the bufhes below on the face of the cliff: 
every thorn in Abyflinia indeed bears a beautiful flower ; a 
{mall.atonement for the evils they occafion. ‘ 
> 
From the edge of the cliff of Geefh: above where the vil- 
lage is fituated, the ground flopes with a very eafy defcent - 
due north, and lands you at the edge of a triangular marfh 
above eighty fix-yards broad, in the line of the fountains, 
and two hundred and eighty-fix yards two feet from the 
edge of the cliff above the houfe of the prieft of the river, 
where I refided: this triangle, fuppoling it a right one, will 
meafure one hundred and ninety-fix yards in its length, or 
in the perpendicular ; I mean it did fo on the 6th of Novem- 
ber 1770; doubtlefs, like other marfhes, in the middle of the 
dry feafon, and of the rains, it will vary its dimenfions. I 
fuppofe that this perpendicular reprefents the north of the 
marfh, and immedfately from the brink of it the ground 
rifes in a rather fteep bank, and forms a round hill nota 
hundred yards high, upon the top of which is placed the 
church of St Michael Geefh; I did not meafure this diftance, 
but am fure it is very little lefs than ‘ve hundred yards 
from the church to the middle fountain. On the eaft the 
4L2 ground 
