fuch word occurring, as far as I know, in any language
fpoken in thefe countries.
• A ii- the difafters which I had been threatened -with in,
the courfe o f that journey, which I had thus begun, now.
prefented themfelves to my m ind, and made, for a moment,
a ftrong impreflion upon m y fpirits. But it was too late to,
draw back, the dye was caft, for life or for death; home was-
before me, however diftant; and if, through the protection,
o f Providence, I ihould be fortunate enough to arrive there,
I promifed m y fe lf both eafe and the applaufe o f my country,,
and o f all unprejudiced men o f fenfe and learning in Europe,
for having, by my own private efforts alone, compleat-
ed a difcovery, which had, from early ages, defied the adr-
drefs, indultry, and courage o f all the world.
H a v i n g , b y thefe reflections, rather hardened, than comforted
my heart,' I now advanced down the ffeep fide o f the,
mountain, our courfe nearly N. N. W. through very ltrong;
and rugged ground, torn up by the torrents that fall on.
every fide from above. This is called the Defcent o f Moura
and though both we and our beafts were in great health and.
fpirits, we could not,' with our utmoll endeavours, advance,
muc lr more than one mile an hour. Two Greeks, one o f
whom only was my fervant; and a third, nearly blind, flyin
g from poverty and w an t; an old janiflary, who had come,
to Abyflinia with the Abuna, and a Copht who left us at.
Sennaar; thefe, and fome common men w ho took charge of:
the beafts, and were to go no further than Tcherkin, were;
my only companions in this long and weary journey.
A x
I At a quarter paft four we came to the river Toom Aredo,
which arifing in the country o f the Kemmont, (a people inhabiting
the high grounds above To the S. W .) falls into the
river Mahaanah. The Kemmont were a fe d once the
fame as the Falaiha, but were baptized in the reign o f
Facilidas, and, ever fince, have continued feparate from
their ancient brethren. No great pains feem to have been
taken with them fince their admiflion to Chriftianity, for
they retain mail o f their ancient cuftoms. They eat the
meat o f cattle killed by Chriftians, but not o f thofe that are
flaughtered, either by Mahometans or Falaiha. They hold,
as a dodrine, that, being once baptized, and having'once
communicated, no fort o f prayer, nor other attention to divine
worfhip, isfurther neceffary. They waihthemfelvesfrom
head to foot after coming from the market, or any public
place, where they may have touched any one o f a fe d
different from their own, efteeming all fuch unclean. They
abftain from all forts o f work on Saturday, keeping clofe at
h om e ; but they grind corn, and do many other fuch like
works, upon Sunday.
T h e i r women pierce their ears, and apply w eights to m ake
them hang down, and to enlarge the holes, into which they
put ear-rings almoft as big as lhackles, in the fame manner
as do the Bedowis in Syria and Paleftine. Their language is
the fame as that o f the Falaiha, w ith fome fmall difference o f
idiom. They have great abhorrence to filh, which they not
only refrain from eating, but cannot bear the fight o f ; and
the reafcn they give for this is, that Jonah the prophet
(from whom they boaft they are defcendcd) was fwal-
M I B a . lowed