98 
AXUM. 
supplied with water, was constructed during the reign of Isaac, 
King of Abyssinia, by the Aboona Samuel, who died at Axum 
three hundred and ninety-two years ago, and was buried under the 
Daroo tree still remaining near the -church ; and that in the year 
1070, a female named Gadit, in great authority, came from Amhara, 
and from a superstitious motive, destroyed, as far as she was able, 
these remains of ancient art; threw down the obelisks, broke the 
altars, and laid the whole place in ruins; an account by no means 
improbable, as there is every appearance of many of the largest 
altars having been broken by great force, and removed from their 
places. The Ethiopic inscription makes it however doubtful, 
whether this were not done by the Aboona David. 
From my account of Axum, it will appear that.Bruce's descrip- 
tion of the " mountain of red marble ;" of the " wall cut out of the 
same five feet high," with its " one hundred and thirty-three pedes- 
tals, on which stood colossal statues of the dog star, two of which 
only were remaining;" and of the road cut between the wall and 
the mountain, are statements contrary to the existing facts, or at 
least so extremely exaggerated, as to cast strong doubts upon his 
authority ; and it appears to me, that nothing but the fallacious 
presumption that no one, after the difficulties which he had de- 
scribed with so much exaggeration, would dare to follow his steps, 
could have induced him to venture on such unsupported assertion, 
which the very next European who should travel that way would 
so certainly refute. His never having seen nor heard of the in- 
scription that stands so near the road by which he passed, is some- 
what singular. It is indeed partly concealed from sight by a small 
rising ground, and his attention might easily have been diverted 
