Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/761

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. yyf

world, as he imagined. Indeed, if all his predeceffors had as numerous families as he, there was no probability of the fucceihon devolving to Grangers. He had a long white beard, and very moderately thick; an ornament rare in Abyffinia, where they have feldom any hair upon their chin. He had round his body a fkin wrapt and tied with a broad belt : I mould rather fay it was an ox's hide ; but it was {o fcraped, and rubbed, and manufactured, that it was of the confidence and appearance of fhamoy,only browner in co- lour. Above this he wore a cloak with the hood up, and covering his head; he was, bare-legged, but had fandals, much like thofe upon ancient flames ; thefe, how- ever, he put off as foon as ever he approached the bog where the Nile rifes, which we were all likewife obliged to do. We were allowed to drink the water, but make no other ufe of it. None of the inhabitants of Geefh wafh themfelves, or their cloaths, in the Nile, but in a ftream that falls from the mountain of Geefh down into the plain of Affoa, which runs fouth, and meets the Nile in its turn northward, pafhng the country of the Gafats and Gongas..

The Agows, in whofe country the Nile rifes, are, in' point of number, one of the moil coniiderable nations in Abyffinia ; when their whole force is raifed, which feldom happens, they can bring to the field 4000 horfe, and a great number of foot; they were, however, once much more powerful ; feveral unfuccefsful battles, and the perpetual inroads of the Galla, have much diminiihed their ftrength. The country, indeed, is flill full of inhabitants, but from their hiftory we learn, that one clan, called Zeegam, man* tained fingly a war againft the king himfelf, from the time of Socinios to that of Yafous the Great, who, after all,.

overcame-.