a voyage to abyssinia-第7章

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。　These　plains　are　surrounded　with　high　mountains；　continually　covered　with　thick　clouds　which　the　sun　draws　from　the　lakes　that　are　here；　from　which　the　water　runs　down　into　the　plain；　and　is　there　congealed　into　salt。　　Nothing　can　be　more　curious　than　to　see　the　channels　and　aqueducts　that　nature　has　formed　in　this　hard　rock；　so　exact　and　of　such　admirable　contrivance；　that　they　seem　to　be　the　work　of　men。　　To　this　place　caravans　of　Abyssinia　are　continually　resorting；　to　carry　salt　into　all　parts　of　the　empire；　which　they　set　a　great　value　upon；　and　which　in　their　country　is　of　the　same　use　as　money。　　The　superstitious　Abyssins　imagine　that　the　cavities　of　the　mountains　are　inhabited　by　evil　spirits　which　appear　in　different　shapes；　calling　those　that　pass　by　their　names　as　in　a　familiar　acquaintance；　who；　if　they　go　to　them；　are　never　seen　afterwards。　　This　relation　was　confirmed　by　the　Moorish　officer　who　came　with　us；　who；　as　he　said；　had　lost　a　servant　in　that　manner：　the　man　certainly　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　Galles；　who　lurk　in　those　dark　retreats；　cut　the　throats　of　the　merchants；　and　carry　off　their　effects。

The　heat　making　it　impossible　to　travel　through　this　plain　in　the　day…time；　we　set　out　in　the　evening；　and　in　the　night　lost　our　way。　It　is　very　dangerous　to　go　through　this　place；　for　there　are　no　marks　of　the　right　road；　but　some　heaps　of　salt；　which　we　could　not　see。　　Our　camel　drivers　getting　together　to　consult　on　this　occasion；　we　suspected　they　had　some　ill　design　in　hand；　and　got　ready　our　weapons；　they　perceived　our　apprehensions；　and　set　us　at　ease　by　letting　us　know　the　reason　of　their　consultation。　Travelling　hard　all　night；　we　found　ourselves　next　morning　past　the　plain；　but　the　road　we　were　in　was　not　more　commodious；　the　points　of　the　rocks　pierced　our　feet；　to　increase　our　perplexities　we　were　alarmed　with　the　approach　of　an　armed　troop；　which　our　fear　immediately　suggested　to　be　the　Galles；　who　chiefly　beset　these　passes　of　the　mountains；　we　put　ourselves　on　the　defensive；　and　expected　them；　whom；　upon　a　more　exact　examination；　we　found　to　be　only　a　caravan　of　merchants　come　as　usual　to　fetch　salt。



Chapter　VIII



They　lose　their　way；　are　in　continual　apprehensions　of　the　Galles。　They　come　to　Duan；　and　settle　in　Abyssinia。


About　nine　the　next　morning　we　came　to　the　end　of　this　toilsome　and　rugged　path；　where　the　way　divided　into　two；　yet　both　led　to　a　well；　the　only　one　that　was　found　in　our　journey。　　A　Moor　with　three　others　took　the　shortest；　without　directing　us　to　follow　him；　so　we　marched　forwards　we　knew　not　whither；　through　woods　and　over　rocks；　without　sleep　or　any　other　refreshment：　　at　noon　the　next　day　we　discovered　that　we　were　near　the　field　of　salt。　　Our　affliction　and　distress　is　not　to　be　expressed；　we　were　all　fainting　with　heat　and　weariness；　and　two　of　the　patriarch's　servants　were　upon　the　point　of　dying　for　want　of　water。　　None　of　us　had　any　but　a　Moor；　who　could　not　be　prevailed　upon　to　part　with　it　at　less　than　the　weight　in　gold；　we　got　some　from　him　at　last；　and　endeavoured　to　revive　the　two　servants；　while　part　of　us　went　to　look　for　a　guide　that　might　put　us　in　the　right　way。　　The　Moors　who　had　arrived　at　the　well；　rightly　guessing　that　we　were　lost；　sent　one　of　their　company　to　look　for　us；　whom　we　heard　shouting　in　the　woods；　but　durst　make　no　answer　for　fear　of　the　Galles。　　At　length　he　found　us；　and　conducted　us　to　the　rest；　we　instantly　forgot　our　past　calamities；　and　had　no　other　care　than　to　recover　the　patriarch's　attendants。　　We　did　not　give　them　a　full　draught　at　first；　but　poured　in　the　water　by　drops；　to　moisten　their　mouths　and　throats；　which　were　extremely　swelled：　by　this　caution　they　were　soon　well。　　We　then　fell　to　eating　and　drinking；　and　though　we　had　nothing　but　our　ordinary　repast　of　honey　and　dried　flesh；　thought　we　never　had　regaled　more　pleasantly　in　our　lives。

We　durst　not　stay　long　in　this　place　for　fear　of　the　Galles；　who　lay　their　ambushes　more　particularly　near　this　well；　by　which　all　caravans　must　necessarily　pass。　　Our　apprehensions　were　very　much　increased　by　our　suspicion　of　the　camel…drivers；　who；　as　we　imagined；　had　advertised　the　Galles　of　our　arrival。　　The　fatigue　we　had　already　suffered　did　not　prevent　our　continuing　our　march　all　night：　　at　last　we　entered　a　plain；　where　our　drivers　told　us　we　might　expect　to　be　attacked　by　the　Galles；　nor　was　it　long　before　our　own　eyes　convinced　us　that　we　were　in　great　danger；　for　we　saw　as　we　went　along　the　dead　bodies　of　a　caravan　who　had　been　lately　massacred；　a　sight　which　froze　our　blood；　and　filled　us　with　pity　and　with　horror。　　The　same　fate　was　not　far　from　overtaking　us；　for　a　troop　of　Galles；　who　were　detached　in　search　of　us；　missed　us　but　an　hour　or　two。　　We　spent　the　next　night　in　the　mountains；　but　when　we　should　have　set　out　in　the　morning；　were　obliged　to　a　fierce　dispute　with　the　old　Moor；　who　had　not　yet　lost　his　inclination　to　destroy　us；　he　would　have　had　us　taken　a　road　which　was　full　of　those　people　we　were　so　much　afraid　of：　　at　length　finding　he　could　not　prevail　with　us；　that　we　charged　the　goods　upon　him　as　belonging　to　the　Emperor；　to　whom　he　should　be　answerable　for　the　loss　of　them；　he　consented；　in　a　sullen　way；　to　go　with　us。

The　desire　of　getting　out　of　the　reach　of　the　Galles　made　us　press　forward　with　great　expedition；　and；　indeed；　fear　having　entirely　engrossed　our　minds；　we　were　perhaps　less　sensible　of　all　our　labours　and　difficulties；　so　violent　an　apprehension　of　one　danger　made　us　look　on　many　others　with　unconcern；　our　pains　at　last　found　some　intermission　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　of　Duan；　the　frontier　of　Abyssinia；　which　separates　it　from　the　country　of　the　Moors；　through　which　we　had　travelled。

Here　we　imagined　we　might　repose　securely；　a　felicity　we　had　long　been　strangers　to。　　Here　we　began　to　rejoice　at　the　conclusion　of　our　labours；　the　place　was　cool　and　pleasant；　the　water　was　excellent；　and　the　birds　melodious。　　Some　of　our　company　went　into　the　wood　to　divert　themselves　with　hearing　the　birds　and　frightening　the　monkeys；　creatures　so　cunning　that　they　would　not　stir　if　a　man　came　unarmed；　but　would　run　immediately　when　they　saw　a　gun。　　At　this　place　our　camel　drivers　left　us；　to　go　to　the　feast　of　St。　Michael；　which　the　Aethiopians　celebrate　the　16th　of　June。　　We　persuaded　them；　however；　to　leave　us　their　camels　and　four　of　their　company　to　take　care　of　them。

We　had　not　waited　many　days　before　some　messengers　came　to　us　with　an　account　that　Father　Baradas；　with　the　Emperor's　nephew；　and　many　other　persons　of　distinction；　waited　for　us　at　some　distance；　we　loaded　our　camels；　and　following　the　course　of　the　river；　came　in　seven　hours　to　the　place　we　were　directed　to　halt　at。　　Father　Manuel　Baradas　and　all　the　company；　who　had　waited　for　us　a　considerable　time　on　the　top　of　the　mountain；　came　down　when　they　saw　our　tents；　and　congratulated　our　arrival。　　It　is　not　easy　to　express　the　benevolence　and　tenderness　with　which　they　embraced　us；　and　the　concern　they　showed　at　seeing　us　worn　away　with　hunger；　labour；　and　weariness；　our　clothes　tattered；　and　our　feet　bloody。

We　left　this　place　of　interview　the　next　day；　and　on　the　21st　of　June　arrived　at　Fremone；　the　residence　of　the　missionaries；　where　we　were　welcomed　by　great　numbers　of　Catholics；　both　Portuguese　and　Abyssins；　who　spared　no　endeavours　to　make　us　forget　all　we　had　suffered　in　so　hazardous　a　journey；　undertaken　with　no　other　intention　than　to　conduct　them　in　the　way　of　salvation。




PART　II　…　A　DESCRIPTION　OF　ABYSSINIA




Chapter　I



The　history　of　Abyssinia。　　An　account　of　the　Queen　of　Sheba；　and　of　Queen　Candace。　　The　conversion　of　the　Abyssins。


The　original　of　the　Abyssins；　like　that　of　all　other　nations；　is　obscure　and　uncertain。　　The　tradition　generally　received　derives　them　from　Cham；　the　son　of　Noah；　and　they　pretend；　however　improbably；　that　from　his　time　till　now　the　legal　succession　of　their　kings　hath　never　been　interrupted；　and　that　the　supreme　power　hath　always　continued　in　the　same　family。　　An　authentic　genealogy　traced　up　so　high　could　not　but　be　extremely　curious；　and　with　good　reason　might　the　Emperors　of　Abyssinia　boast　themselves　the　most　illustrious　and　ancient　family　in　the　world。　　But　there　are　no　real　grounds　for　imagining　that　Providence　has　vouchsafed　them　so　distinguishing　a　protection；　and　from　the　wars　with　which　this　empire　hath　been　shaken　in　these　latter　ages　we　may　justly　believe　that；　like　all　others；　it　has　suffered　its　revolutions；　and　that　the　history　of　the　Abyssins　is　corrupted　with　fables。　　This　empire　is　known　by　the　name　of　the　kingdom　of　Prester…John。　　For　the　Portuguese　having　heard　such　wonderful　relations　of　an　ancient　and　famous　Christian　state　called　by　that　name；　in　the　Indies；　imagined　it　could　be　none　but　this　of　Aethiopia。　　Many　things　concurred　to　make　them　of　this　opinion：　　there　was　no　Christian　kingdom　or　state　in　the　Indies　of　which　all　was　true　which　they　heard　of　this　land　of　Prester…John：　　and　there　was　none　in　the　other　parts　of　the　world　who　was　a　Christian　separated　from　the　Catholic　Church　but　what　was　known；　except　this　kingdom　of　Aethiopia。　　It　has　therefore　passed　for　the　kingdom　of　Prester…John　since　the　time　that　it　was　discovered　by　the　Portuguese　in　the　reign　of　King　John　the　Second。

The　country　is　properly　called　Abyssinia；　and　the　people　term　themselves　Abyssins。　　Their　histories　count　a　hundred　and　sixty…two　reigns；　from　Cham　to　Faciladas　or　Basilides；　among　which　some　women　are　remarkably　celebrated。　　One　of　the　most　renowned　is　the　Queen　of　Sheba；　mentioned　in　Scripture；　whom　the　natives　call　Nicaula　or　Macheda；　and　in　their　translation　of　the　gospel；　Nagista　Azeb；　which　in　their　language　is　Queen　of　the　South。　　They　still　show　the　ruins　of　a　city　which　appears　to　have　been　once　of　note；　as　the　place　where　she　kept　her　court；　and　a　village　which；　from　its　being　the　place　of　her　birth；　they　call　the　land　of　Saba。　　The　Kings　of　Aethiopia　draw　their　boasted　pedigree　from　Minilech；　the　son　of　this　Queen　and　Solomon。　　The　other　Queen　for　whom　they　retain　a　great　veneration　is　Candace；　whom　they　call　Judith；　and　indeed　if　what　they　relate　of　her　could　be　proved；　there　never　was；　amongst　the　most　illustrious　and　beneficent　sovereigns；　any　to　whom　their　country　was　more　indebted；　for　it　is　said　that　she　being　converted　by　Inda　her　eunuch；　whom　St。　Philip　baptised；　prevailed　with　her　subjects　to　quit　the　worship　of　idols；　and　profess　the　faith　of　Jesus　Christ。　　This　opinion　appears　to　me　without　any　better　foundation　than　another　of　the　conversion　of　the　Abyssins　to　the　Jewish　rites　by　the　Queen　of　Sheba；　at　her　return　from　the　court　of　Solomon。　　They；　however；　who　patronise　these　traditions　give　us　very　specious　accounts　of　the　zeal　and　piety　of　the　Abyssins　at　their　first　conversion。　　Many；　they　say；　abandoned　all　the　pleasures　and　vanities　of　life　for　solitude　and　religious　austerities；　others　devoted　themselves　to　God　in　an　ecclesiastical　life；　they　who　could　not　do　these　set　apart　their　revenues　for　building　churches；　endowing　chapels；　and　founding　monasteries；　and　spent　their　wealth　in　costly　ornaments　for　the　churches　and　vessels　for　the　altars。　　It　is　true　that　this　people