I 
Q :5 § Travels into the h e v a n t. Part I, 
CHAP. LXIX. 
Of iÈthiopia. 
Mthioph. jrpThiopia or the Countrey of the Jbyjfms^ called in Arabick Ahefch^ from 
YjJj whence comes the word Abyffm^ is a great Empire, being above fevên 
months travel in Circuit j oh the Eaft-llde it is bordered by the Red-Sea and 
Zanguehar^ on the South, with XeiU-, Avoufa^ Naria^ &c. On the Weft by 
the Countrey of the Negros and Nubià^ and on the North with the Countrey 
of Nubia and Bngia ; becaufe to come from aAlthiofia into (i/£gypt, one mufl 
GreynMubo- ^^^ç^ Niibia down the Nile. About an hundred years ago , Greyn Mahomet^ 
King of Zeila^ of which the Inhabitants are all Moors, Invaded <iy£thiopa, 
and forced the King to fave himfelf on a Mountain, from whence hefent 
The King of to demand affiftance of the King of Portugal, who immediately fent it him 5 
PortH^^/aflifts but hardly was he who commanded thefe Auxiliaries entered the Countrey, 
^mhb^if reiblved to return back again, finding that they ate raw Flefh there : 
t lopu. However his brother Don Chriftofher had more Courage^and would not return 
without doing fome Exploit i he marchul up into the Countrey with 
about three hundred Mufqueceers, Fought, Vanquiftied, and killed theMoor- 
ifli King, and then Re-eftabliflied the lawful King of (Ethiopia. For reward 
of which Service, the king of <iy£thiopia, gave Lands and Eftates to all the 
PortugHtfe that ftayed within his Dominions, and their Off- fpring are ftill in 
that Countrey. The Father of this prefent King was a good Catholick, but 
he dying fome thirty odd years agoe, the Queen his Wife, who was a great 
■ Enemy to the Jefuits, and no Catholick, and who fuffered impatiently that 
they Ihould govern (as they pleafed) the late King her Husband, wrought upon 
A perfecution her Son that fucceeded him, to Perfecute all the Roman CathoUcks, in fuch 
of thervoman a nianner that the Jefuits were obliged to make their Efcape, and he put to 
Cathohcks in ly^^^h all the Capucins whom he found. Since that time, three Capucins 
-t-^wi'M' rnoxQ were put to Death at Schonaken ; for the King of i^thiopia knowing 
that they had a mind to come into his Kingdom, fent to the Governour of 
SchoHaken, praying him to put to death thofe three Religious Franks. The 
Governour of Schonaken caufed their Heads to be immediately ftruck off, and 
fent them to the King of t^thiopia, who as a reward, made him a Prefent 
of three Bags of Gold-Duft, promifing him as many Baggs of Gold-Duft,- as 
he fhould fend him Heads of Franks ^ and fifteen or fixteen years fince, two 
others have been put to Death, in the Province of Oinadaga, whofe names 
were Father Fioravanti, and Father Francefco. In fhort, this King is a declared 
Enemy to allFranks» whom he accufes of being Hereticks, and of having con- 
fpired to put the Crown upon the Head of one of his Enemies; fo that a 
The belief of Frank who would go into that Countrey ,muft pafsfor an Armenian or Cophte 
the Mhio^i- for the King and all bis People, are of the Cophttjh Religion. They believe 
MS. but one Nature in Je/us Chrift : At the end of eight days they Circumcife, 
as the jews do, and Baptife a Fortnight after. Before the Jefmts went thither, 
they Baptifed none before they were thirty or forty years of Age. They 
fay Mafs as the Ccphtes do, but their Church Books are in the jEthiopick 
The Patri- Language. Their Patriarch depends on the Patriarch of Alexandria, and 
arch of j£éi. the Patriarch of the Abyjfms dies, they fend Deputies to Alexandria, to 
he^ Patri ^■^^'"^^^ Patriarch to fend them another; and he Convocating his Clergy, 
aah of Akx- cliwfes out the fitteft among them, whom he fends, but is never any more heard 
lindm. of in ly^iypf, till he be Dead. After all, the Ambaffadour told us that moft 
of the People of the Countrey are Catholicks in their Heart. 
There are four Kings that pay Tribute to the King of lAlthiopia, to wit, 
^Nartl ' ^'^S oîScnnar, who pays his Tribute in Horfes. Sennar'n a very hoc 
'^'^ ^' Countrey. The King of Nana, who pays his Tribute in Gold. The 
King of Bitgia, and King of Dangala. Naria is a good Countrey ; and ia 
that 
