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CH EL I CUT. 
regard to his intention of proceeding to the south ; so that he 
here determined to advance only so far as the Ain Tacazze, and 
thence to turn oiF along the course of that river tov^ards the district 
of Samen, w^here he entertained the hope of penetrating into the 
interior with more facility, and for this purpose he joined some 
wandering people who were travelling that way. 
On the third, after seven hours march, Mr. Pearce and his 
small party slept supperless under a tree on the top of a high 
mountain, a circumstance which was doubly felt, from the 
weather being extremely cold ; and, on the following day, they 
descended into the plains of Maizella. Plere they met with a 
favourable reception at a small village in the neighbourhood of 
the sources of the Tacazze, which Mr. Pearce went to examine 
in the evening. This river, which may be considered as one of 
the larger branches of the Nile, rises from three small springs, 
(called by the natives Ain Tacazze,* or the eye of the Tacazze), 
emptying themselves into a reservoir, whence the waters first 
issue in a collective stream. To a person capable of strong re- 
flection the sources of rivers alford a peculiar charm, for, in such 
situations, the mind is naturally led to a contemplation of the 
various countries which the stream has to traverse, and of the dif- 
ferent inhabitants whom it has to visit in its course. Similar ideas 
appear to have occupied Mr. Pearce's attention, on this occasion, 
for he related to me, that when he stood on the brink of the re- 
servoir, and threw a small piece of wood into the water, he 
coold not help reflecting, how many regions it had to pass through 
before it could reach the ocean. It may be here observed, that 
* It is said to be only half a day's journey from this spot toLalib^lk. 
