a voyage to abyssinia-第15章

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pieces。　　The　river　horse；　which　lives　only　on　grass　and　branches　of　trees；　is　satisfied　with　killing　the　men；　but　the　crocodile　being　more　voracious；　feeds　upon　the　carcases。

But　since　I　am　arrived　at　the　banks　of　this　renowned　river；　which　I　have　passed　and　repassed　so　many　times；　and　since　all　that　I　have　read　of　the　nature　of　its　waters；　and　the　causes　of　its　overflowing；　is　full　of　fables；　the　reader　may　not　be　displeased　to　find　here　an　account　of　what　I　saw　myself；　or　was　told　by　the　inhabitants。



Chapter　X



A　description　of　the　Nile。


The　Nile；　which　the　natives　call　Abavi；　that　is；　the　Father　of　Waters；　rises　first　in　Sacala；　a　province　of　the　kingdom　of　Goiama；　which　is　one　of　the　most　fruitful　and　agreeable　of　all　the　Abyssinian　dominions。　　This　province　is　inhabited　by　a　nation　of　the　Agaus；　who　call；　but　only　call；　themselves　Christians；　for　by　daily　intermarriages　they　have　allied　themselves　to　the　Pagan　Agaus；　and　adopted　all　their　customs　and　ceremonies。　　These　two　nations　are　very　numerous；　fierce；　and　unconquerable；　inhabiting　a　country　full　of　mountains；　which　are　covered　with　woods；　and　hollowed　by　nature　into　vast　caverns；　many　of　which　are　capable　of　containing　several　numerous　families；　and　hundreds　of　cows。　　To　these　recesses　the　Agaus　betake　themselves　when　they　are　driven　out　of　the　plain；　where　it　is　almost　impossible　to　find　them；　and　certain　ruin　to　pursue　them。　　This　people　increases　extremely；　every　man　being　allowed　so　many　wives　as　he　hath　hundreds　of　cows；　and　it　is　seldom　that　the　hundreds　are　required　to　be　complete。

In　the　eastern　part　of　this　kingdom；　on　the　declivity　of　a　mountain；　whose　descent　is　so　easy　that　it　seems　a　beautiful　plain；　is　that　source　of　the　Nile　which　has　been　sought　after　at　so　much　expense　of　labour；　and　about　which　such　variety　of　conjectures　hath　been　formed　without　success。　　This　spring；　or　rather　these　two　springs；　are　two　holes；　each　about　two　feet　diameter；　a　stone's　cast　distant　from　each　other；　the　one　is　but　about　five　feet　and　a　half　in　depthat　least　we　could　not　get　our　plummet　farther；　perhaps　because　it　was　stopped　by　roots；　for　the　whole　place　is　full　of　trees；　of　the　other；　which　is　somewhat　less；　with　a　line　of　ten　feet　we　could　find　no　bottom；　and　were　assured　by　the　inhabitants　that　none　ever　had　been　found。　　It　is　believed　here　that　these　springs　are　the　vents　of　a　great　subterraneous　lake；　and　they　have　this　circumstance　to　favour　their　opinion；　that　the　ground　is　always　moist　and　so　soft　that　the　water　boils　up　under　foot　as　one　walks　upon　it。　　This　is　more　visible　after　rains；　for　then　the　ground　yields　and　sinks　so　much；　that　I　believe　it　is　chiefly　supported　by　the　roots　of　trees　that　are　interwoven　one　with　another；　such　is　the　ground　round　about　these　fountains。　　At　a　little　distance　to　the　south　is　a　village　named　Guix；　through　which　the　way　lies　to　the　top　of　the　mountain；　from　whence　the　traveller　discovers　a　vast　extent　of　land；　which　appears　like　a　deep　valley；　though　the　mountain　rises　so　imperceptibly　that　those　who　go　up　or　down　it　are　scarce　sensible　of　any　declivity。

On　the　top　of　this　mountain　is　a　little　hill　which　the　idolatrous　Agaus　have　in　great　veneration；　their　priest　calls　them　together　at　this　place　once　a　year；　and　having　sacrificed　a　cow；　throws　the　head　into　one　of　the　springs　of　the　Nile；　after　which　ceremony；　every　one　sacrifices　a　cow　or　more；　according　to　their　different　degrees　of　wealth　or　devotion。　　The　bones　of　these　cows　have　already　formed　two　mountains　of　considerable　height；　which　afford　a　sufficient　proof　that　these　nations　have　always　paid　their　adorations　to　this　famous　river。　　They　eat　these　sacrifices　with　great　devotion；　as　flesh　consecrated　to　their　deity。　　Then　the　priest　anoints　himself　with　the　grease　and　tallow　of　the　cows；　and　sits　down　on　a　heap　of　straw；　on　the　top　and　in　the　middle　of　a　pile　which　is　prepared；　they　set　fire　to　it；　and　the　whole　heap　is　consumed　without　any　injury　to　the　priest；　who　while　the　fire　continues　harangues　the　standers　by；　and　confirms　them　in　their　present　ignorance　and　superstition。　　When　the　pile　is　burnt；　and　the　discourse　at　an　end；　every　one　makes　a　large　present　to　the　priest；　which　is　the　grand　design　of　this　religious　mockery。

To　return　to　the　course　of　the　Nile：　　its　waters；　after　the　first　rise；　run　to　the　eastward　for　about　a　musket…shot；　then　turning　to　the　north；　continue　hidden　in　the　grass　and　weeds　for　about　a　quarter　of　a　league；　and　discover　themselves　for　the　first　time　among　some　rocksa　sight　not　to　be　enjoyed　without　some　pleasure　by　those　who　have　read　the　fabulous　accounts　of　this　stream　delivered　by　the　ancients；　and　the　vain　conjectures　and　reasonings　which　have　been　formed　upon　its　original；　the　nature　of　its　water；　its　cataracts；　and　its　inundations；　all　which　we　are　now　entirely　acquainted　with　and　eye…witnesses　of。

Many　interpreters　of　the　Holy　Scriptures　pretend　that　Gihon；　mentioned　in　Genesis；　is　no　other　than　the　Nile；　which　encompasseth　all　Aethiopia；　but　as　the　Gihon　had　its　source　from　the　terrestrial　paradise；　and　we　know　that　the　Nile　rises　in　the　country　of　the　Agaus；　it　will　be　found；　I　believe；　no　small　difficulty　to　conceive　how　the　same　river　could　arise　from　two　sources　so　distant　from　each　other；　or　how　a　river　from　so　low　a　source　should　spring　up　and　appear　in　a　place　perhaps　the　highest　in　the　world：　　for　if　we　consider　that　Arabia　and　Palestine　are　in　their　situation　almost　level　with　Egypt；　that　Egypt　is　as　low；　if　compared　with　the　kingdom　of　Dambia；　as　the　deepest　valley　in　regard　of　the　highest　mountain；　that　the　province　of　Sacala　is　yet　more　elevated　than　Dambia；　that　the　waters　of　the　Nile　must　either　pass　under　the　Red　Sea；　or　take　a　great　compass　about；　we　shall　find　it　hard　to　conceive　such　an　attractive　power　in　the　earth　as　may　be　able　to　make　the　waters　rise　through　the　obstruction　of　so　much　sand　from　places　so　low　to　the　most　lofty　region　of　Aethiopia。

But　leaving　these　difficulties；　let　us　go　on　to　describe　the　course　of　the　Nile。　　It　rolls　away　from　its　source　with　so　inconsiderable　a　current；　that　it　appears　unlikely　to　escape　being　dried　up　by　the　hot　season；　but　soon　receiving　an　increase　from　the　Gemma；　the　Keltu；　the　Bransu；　and　other　less　rivers；　it　is　of　such　a　breadth　in　the　plain　of　Boad；　which　is　not　above　three　days'　journey　from　its　source；　that　a　ball　shot　from　a　musket　will　scarce　fly　from　one　bank　to　the　other。　　Here　it　begins　to　run　northwards；　deflecting；　however；　a　little　towards　the　east；　for　the　space　of　nine　or　ten　leagues；　and　then　enters　the　so　much　talked　of　Lake　of　Dambia；　called　by　the　natives　Bahar　Sena；　the　Resemblance　of　the　Sea；　or　Bahar　Dambia；　the　Sea　of　Dambia。　　It　crosses　this　lake　only　at　one　end　with　so　violent　a　rapidity；　that　the　waters　of　the　Nile　may　be　distinguished　through　all　the　passage；　which　is　six　leagues。　　Here　begins　the　greatness　of　the　Nile。　　Fifteen　miles　farther；　in　the　land　of　Alata；　it　rushes　precipitately　from　the　top　of　a　high　rock；　and　forms　one　of　the　most　beautiful　water…falls　in　the　world：　　I　passed　under　it　without　being　wet；　and　resting　myself　there；　for　the　sake　of　the　coolness；　was　charmed　with　a　thousand　delightful　rainbows；　which　the　sunbeams　painted　on　the　water　in　all　their　shining　and　lively　colours。　　The　fall　of　this　mighty　stream　from　so　great　a　height　makes　a　noise　that　may　be　heard　to　a　considerable　distance；　but　I　could　not　observe　that　the　neighbouring　inhabitants　were　at　all　deaf。　　I　conversed　with　several；　and　was　as　easily　heard　by　them　as　I　heard　them。　　The　mist　that　rises　from　this　fall　of　water　may　be　seen　much　farther　than　the　noise　can　be　heard。　　After　this　cataract　the　Nile　again　collects　its　scattered　stream　among　the　rocks；　which　seem　to　be　disjoined　in　this　place　only　to　afford　it　a　passage。　　They　are　so　near　each　other　that；　in　my　time；　a　bridge　of　beams；　on　which　the　whole　Imperial　army　passed；　was　laid　over　them。　Sultan　Segued　hath　since　built　here　a　bridge　of　one　arch　in　the　same　place；　for　which　purpose　he　procured　masons　from　India。　　This　bridge；　which　is　the　first　the　Abyssins　have　seen　on　the　Nile；　very　much　facilitates　a　communication　between　the　provinces；　and　encourages　commerce　among　the　inhabitants　of　his　empire。

Here　the　river　alters　its　course；　and　passes　through　many　various　kingdoms；　on　the　east　it　leaves　Begmeder；　or　the　Land　of　Sheep；　so　called　from　great　numbers　that　are　bred　there；　beg；　in　that　language；　signifying　sheep；　and　meder；　a　country。　　It　then　waters　the　kingdoms　of　Amhara；　Olaca；　Choaa；　and　Damot；　which　lie　on　the　left　side；　and　the　kingdom　of　Goiama；　which　it　bounds　on　the　right；　forming　by　its　windings　a　kind　of　peninsula。　　Then　entering　Bezamo；　a　province　of　the　kingdom　of　Damot；　and　Gamarchausa；　part　of　Goiama；　it　returns　within　a　short　day's　journey　of　its　spring；　though　to　pursue　it　through　all　its　mazes；　and　accompany　it　round　the　kingdom　of　Goiama；　is　a　journey　of　twenty…nine　days。　　So　far；　and　a　few　days'　journey　farther；　this　river　confines　itself　to　Abyssinia；　and　then　passes　into　the　bordering　countries　of　Fazulo　and　Ombarca。

These　vast　regions　we　have　little　knowledge　of：　　they　are　inhabited　by　nations　entirely　different　from　the　Abyssins；　their　hair　is　like　that　of　the　other　blacks；　short　and　curled。　　In　the　year　1615；　Rassela　Christos；　lieutenant…general　to　Sultan　Segued；　entered　those　kingdoms　with　his　army　in　a　hostile　manner；　but　being　able　to　get　no　intelligence　of　the　condition　of　the　people；　and　astonished　at　their　unbounded　extent；　he　returned；　without　daring　to　attempt　anything。

As　the　empire　of　the　Abyssins　terminates　at　these　deserts；　and　as　I　have　followed　the　course　of　the　Nile　no　farther；　I　here　leave　it　to　range　over　barbarous　kingdoms；　and　convey　wealth　and　plenty　into　Egypt；　which　owes　to　the　annual　inundations　of　this　river　its　envied　fertility。　　I　know　not　anything　of　the　rest　of　its　passage；　but　that　it　receives　great　increases　from　many　other　rivers；　that　it　has　several　cataracts　like　the　first　already　described；　and　that　few　fish　are　to　be　found　in　it；　which　scarcity；　doubtless；　is　to　be　attributed　to　the　river…horses　and　crocodiles；　which　destroy　the　weaker　inhabitants　of　these　waters；　and　something　may　be　allowed　to　the　cataracts；　it　being　difficult　for　fish　to　fall　so　far　without　being　killed。

Although　some　who　have　travelled　in　Asia　and　Africa　have　given　the　world　their　descriptions　of　crocodiles　and　hippopotamus；　or　river…　horse；　yet　as　the　Nile　has　at　least　as　great　numbers　of　each　as　any　river　in　the　world；　I　cannot　but　think　my　account　of　it　would　be　imperfect　without　some　particular　mention　of　these　animals。

The　crocodile　is　very　ugly；　having　no　proportion　between　his　length　and　thickness；　he　hath　short　feet；　a　wide　mouth；　with　two　rows　of　sharp　teeth；　standing　wide　from　each　other；　a　brown　skin　so　fortified　with　scales；　even　to　his　nose；　that　a　musket…ball　cannot　penetrate　it。　　His　sight　is　extremely　quick；　and　at　a　great　distance。　　In　the　water　he　is　daring　and　fierce；　and　will　seize　on　any　that　are　so　unfortunate　as　to　be　found　by　him　bathing；　who；　if　they　escape　with　life；　are　almost　sure　to　leave　some　limb　in　his　mouth。　　Neither　I；　nor　any　with　whom　I　have　conversed　about　the　crocodile；　have　ever　seen　him　w