28 
TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA. 
thousand hand-mills, for grinding flour, worked by 
women* Being on good terms with the king of 
Abyssinia, he did him, along with Bermudez, the 
singular favour of shewing them a part of his ter- 
ritory. He appears, however, to have given a very 
exaggerated description of its wealth. He assert- 
ed, that the soil consisted generally of two parts of 
gold, and one of earth ; and, pointing to a lofty 
mountain, which had a glittering appearance, he 
assured them that all that was gold. 
Bermudez now returned by Gojam and Dem- 
bea to Dobarwa, and soon after left Abyssinia. 
Although no fruit was thus drawn from the la- 
bours of Bermudez, yet the Portuguese monarch 
was not disposed to remit his efforts for the conver- 
sion of Ethiopia. An Abyssinian priest, called Pe- 
ter, having repaired to Rome, asserted, that the 
failure of Bermudez had arisen entirely from his 
own absurd and brutal conduct, and that if a man 
of sense and capacity were sent out, he would 
soon effect the conversion of Abyssinia. It seems 
to have been imagined, though probably on very 
slender grounds, that this person had some autho- 
rity from the emperor to request such a mission. 
The Pope, and the king of Portugal, determined 
not to reject this supposed opportunity. Nugnez 
Barreto was invested with the dignity of patriarch, 
and sent to exercise that office in Abyssinia. He 
