AXUM. ,9 7:^: 
to relate concerning it, are, that the seat itself, and the slab on 
which the feet naturally rest, are of granite, and not of free stone, as 
is in this instance alone, among so many ruins, so suspiciously des- 
cribed by Bruce ; and they contain not the least trace of an inscrip- 
tion ; and yet I cannot think that they have been much disturbed dur- 
ing the last thirty-five years ; as they have not been applied to any 
purpose, and are rendered nearly inaccessible to the barefooted na- 
tives, by being surrounded on all sides with nettles of a large species, 
which sting more than any I have before felt. Nor can I believe that an 
inscription, which had stood for ages, would have totally vanished 
in so short a period, without leaving even a trace behind. I there- 
fore conceive Bruce's inscription to be altogether fictitious. In the 
inner inclosure, on a paved way leading to the flight of steps before 
the church, is a broken stone, on which are figured two spears, the 
one barbed, and the other not, like those now in use. 
" All the monuments around the church form a group, and 
are probably part of one great edifice; but it is impossible to 
make out what might have been the plan of this ancient building, 
because the houses of the modern town are crowded all round 
the south and western sides of the church. All the information 
that I could procure at Axum, concerning the history of the sin- 
gular remains there, was from the attending priests, who informed 
me, on the authority of their books, that all their ancient monu- 
ments and obelisks, originally fifty-five in number, of which four 
were of the size now standing, were built by Ethiopus, the father 
of Abyssinia, about one thousand five hundred and forty-four 
years ago; and, which is probably entitled to more credit, that the 
great reservoir from which every house in the town was formerly 
