Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/767

 THE SOURCE OF THE NILE.

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they were intended for retreats upon any alarm of an irrup- tion of the Galla into their country.

At the fame time I mud obferve, that all the clans, or diftricts of the Agows, have the whole mountains of their country perforated in caves like thefe ; even the clans of Zeegam and Quaquera, the firfl of which, from its power ariiing from the populous Hate of the country, and the number of horfes it breeds, feems to have no reafon to fear the irregular invafions of naked and ill-armed ravages fuch as are the Galla. The country of Zeegam, however, which has bat few mountains, hath many of thefe caverns, one range above another, in every mountain belonging to them. Quaquera, indeed, borders upon the Shangalla; as thefe are all toot, perfectly contiguous, and feparated by the river, the caverns were probably intended as retreats for cattle and women again!! the attacks of thofe barbarians, which were every minute to be apprehended.

In the country of the Tcheratz Agow, the mountains are all excavated like thefe in Damot, although they have no Galla for their neighbours whole invafions they need be afraid of. Lalibala, indeed, their great king and (aint, about the twelfth century, converted many of thefe caves into churches, as if he had considered them as formerly the re- ceptacles of Pagan fuperllition. At the lame time, it is not improbable that thefe caverns were made life of for religi- ous purpofes ; that of Geefli,. for inftance, was probably, in former times, a place of fecret worfhip paid to the river, be- caufe of that ufe it Hill is, not only to the inhabitants of the village, but to the aiTembly of the clans in general, who, after the ceremonies I have already fpoken of, retire, and 4 then