!?x PREFACE. 
Towards the cfofe of the year 1796, I was told 
by the Coptic patriarch, that for the preceding nine 
years or more, no communication had taken place 
between Egypt and Abyffinia. Two men pretend- 
ing to be priefts of that country, came in 1793 to 
-Kahira, but it was afterwards difcovered that they 
were either not Abyflins, or fugitives, and with- 
out authority or commifHon. The interception of 
their intercourfe by land might be caufed by the 
unfettled ftate of Sennaar and Nubia, Slaves from 
Abyflinia are ufually brought by the Red Sea from 
Mdfuah to Jidda, and many of them are fold in 
Mecca, though but few reach Kahira by way of 
Cofsir and Suez. Gold fometimes comes to market 
by the fame route, and the AbyfUns are thence 
fupplied with fuch foreign commodities as they ftand 
in need of. 
To the flaves of Habbefh no very marked pre- 
ference is fhewn in Egypt. They are more beautiful 
than thofe of Soudan; but the price of the two kinds, 
cceteris paribus^ is nearly the fame. 
A prieft 
