Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 2.djvu/165

, however, proved superfluous; for, a few days after, an epidemical fever began to manifest itself, which, in eight-and-forty hours, carried off Matthew, and soon after Pereira, the servant of Don Roderigo; so that no opportunity now offered for an explanation with the king about his or the empress's promise of ceding one-third of the kingdom to the Portuguese in cafe the king would fend them succour. Terrified by the fever, and the bad prospect of the weather, they resumed their journey.

monastery of Bisan (to which they were now going) is so called from the great quantity of water which is everywhere found about it. The similitude of found has made Poncet, and several other travellers, call it the Monastery of the Vision; but Bisan (water) is its true name, being plentifully supplied with that moil valuable clement. A number of lakes and rivers are interspersed through its plains; while abundant springs, that are never dry, flow from the top of each rock, dashing their rills against the rugged projections of the cliffs below.

monastery of Bisan, properly so called, is the head of six others in the compass of 26 miles; each convent placed, like a tower on the top of its own rock. That upon which Bisan is situated is very high, and almost perpendicular; and from this rises another still higher than it, which, unless to its inhabitants, is perfectly inaccessible. It is, on every side, surrounded with wood, interspersed with fruit-trees of many different kinds, as well of those known as of those