THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 741 
they were intended for retreats upon any alarm of an irrup- 
tion of the Galla into their country. 
At the fame time I mutt obferve, that all the clans, or 
diftricts of the Agows, have the whole mountains of their 
country perforated in caves like thefe; even the clans of 
Zeegam and Quaquera, the firft of which, from its power 
arifing from the populous ftate of the country, and the 
number of horfes it breeds, feems to have no reafon to fear 
the irregular invafions of naked and ill-armed favages fuch 
as are the Galla, The country of Zeegam, however, which 
has but few mountains, hath many of thefe caverns, one 
range above another, in every mountain belonging to them. 
Quaquera, indeed, borders upon the Shangalla; as thefe are 
all foot, perfetly contiguous, and feparated by the river, 
the caverns were probably intended as retreats for cattle 
and women againft the attacks of thofe barbarians, which 
were every minute to be apprehended. 
tn the country of the Tcheratz Agow, the mountains are 
all excavated like thefe in Damot, although they have no 
Galla for their neighbours whofe invafions they need be 
afraid of. Lalibala, indeed, their great king and faint, about 
the twelfth century, converted many of thefe caves into 
churches, as if he had confidered them as formerly the re- 
ceptacles of Pagan fuperftition. At the fame time, it is not 
improbable that thefe caverns were made ufe of for religi- 
ous purpofes; that of Geefh, for inftance, was probably, in 
former times, a place of fecret worfhip paid to the river, be- 
 caufe of that ufe it ftill is, not only to the inhabitants of the 
village, but to the aflembly of the clans in general, who, 
after the ceremonies | have already {poken of, retire, and 
4 a then 
