a voyage to abyssinia-第17部分

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ruct；　and　receive　the　renunciation　of　their　errors；　scarce　allowing　ourselves　time　to　make　a　scanty　meal；　which　we　never　did　more　than　once　a　day。

After　some　time　had　been　spent　here；　we　removed　to　another　town　not　far　distant；　and　continued　the　same　practice。　　Here　I　was　accosted　one　day　by　an　inhabitant　of　that　place；　where　he　had　found　the　people　so　prejudiced　against　us；　who　desired　to　be　admitted　to　confession。　　I　could　not　forbear　asking　him　some　questions　about　those　lamentations；　which　we　heard　upon　our　entering　into　that　place。　　He　confessed　with　the　utmost　frankness　and　ingenuity　that　the　priests　and　religious　have　given　dreadful　accounts　both　of　us　and　of　the　religion　we　preached；　that　the　unhappy　people　were　taught　by　them　that　the　curse　of　God　attended　us　wheresoever　we　went；　that　we　were　always　followed　by　the　grasshoppers；　that　pest　of　Abyssinia；　which　carried　famine　and　destruction　over　all　the　country；　that　he；　seeing　no　grasshoppers　following　us　when　we　passed　by　their　village；　began　to　doubt　of　the　reality　of　what　the　priests　had　so　confidently　asserted；　and　was　now　convinced　that　the　representation　they　made　of　us　was　calumny　and　imposture。　　This　discourse　gave　us　double　pleasure；　both　as　it　proved　that　God　had　confuted　the　accusations　of　our　enemies；　and　defended　us　against　their　malice　without　any　efforts　of　our　own；　and　that　the　people　who　had　shunned　us　with　the　strongest　detestation　were　yet　lovers　of　truth；　and　came　to　us　on　their　own　accord。　　Nothing　could　be　more　grossly　absurd　than　the　reproaches　which　the　Abyssinian　ecclesiastics　aspersed　us　and　our　religion　with。　　They　had　taken　advantage　of　the　calamity　that　happened　the　year　of　our　arrival：　　and　the　Abyssins；　with　all　their　wit；　did　not　consider　that　they　had　often　been　distressed　by　the　grasshoppers　before　there　came　any　Jesuits　into　the　country；　and　indeed　before　there　were　any　in　the　world。

Whilst　I　was　in　these　mountains；　I　went　on　Sundays　and　saints'　days　sometimes　to　one　church　and　sometimes　to　another。　　One　day　I　went　out　with　a　resolution　not　to　go　to　a　certain　church；　where　I　imagined　there　was　no　occasion　for　me；　but　before　I　had　gone　far；　I　found　myself　pressed　by　a　secret　impulse　to　return　back　to　that　same　church。　　I　obeyed　the　influence；　and　discovered　it　to　proceed　from　the　mercy　of　God　to　three　young　children　who　were　destitute　of　all　succour；　and　at　the　point　of　death。　　I　found　two　very　quickly　in　this　miserable　state；　the　mother　had　retired　to　some　distance　that　she　might　not　see　them　die；　and　when　she　saw　me　stop；　came　and　told　me　that　they　had　been　obliged　by　want　to　leave　the　town　they　lived　in；　and　were　at　length　reduced　to　this　dismal　condition；　that　she　had　been　baptised；　but　that　the　children　had　not。　　After　I　had　baptised　and　relieved　them；　I　continued　my　walk；　reflecting　with　wonder　on　the　mercy　of　God；　and　about　evening　discovered　another　infant；　whose　mother；　evidently　a　Catholic；　cried　out　to　me　to　save　her　child；　or　at　least　that　if　I　could　not　preserve　this　uncertain　and　perishable　life；　I　should　give　it　another　certain　and　permanent。　I　sent　my　servant　to　fetch　water　with　the　utmost　expedition；　for　there　was　none　near；　and　happily　baptised　the　child　before　it　expired。

Soon　after　this　I　returned　to　Fremona；　and　had　great　hopes　of　accompanying　the　patriarch　to　the　court；　but；　when　we　were　almost　setting　out；　received　the　command　of　the　superior　of　the　mission　to　stay　at　Fremona；　with　a　charge　of　the　house　there；　and　of　all　the　Catholics　that　were　dispersed　over　the　kingdom　of　Tigre；　an　employment　very　ill…proportioned　to　my　abilities。　　The　house　at　Fremona　has　always　been　much　regarded　even　by　those　emperors　who　persecuted　us；　Sultan　Segued　annexed　nine　large　manors　to　it　for　ever；　which　did　not　make　us　much　more　wealthy；　because　of　the　expensive　hospitality　which　the　great　conflux　of　strangers　obliged　us　to。　　The　lands　in　Abyssinia　yield　but　small　revenues；　unless　the　owners　themselves　set　the　value　upon　them；　which　we　could　not　do。

The　manner　of　letting　farms　in　Abyssinia　differs　much　from　that　of　other　countries：　　the　farmer；　when　the　harvest　is　almost　ripe；　invites　the　chumo　or　steward；　who　is　appointed　to　make　an　estimate　of　the　value　of　each　year's　product；　to　his　house；　entertains　him　in　the　most　agreeable　manner　he　can；　makes　him　a　present；　and　then　takes　him　to　see　his　corn。　　If　the　chumo　is　pleased　with　the　treat　and　present；　he　will　give　him　a　declaration　or　writing　to　witness　that　his　ground；　which　afforded　five　or　six　sacks　of　corn；　did　you　yield　so　many　bushels；　and　even　of　this　it　is　the　custom　to　abate　something；　so　that　our　revenue　did　not　increase　in　proportion　to　our　lands；　and　we　found　ourselves　often　obliged　to　buy　corn；　which；　indeed；　is　not　dear；　for　in　fruitful　years　forty　or　fifty　measures；　weighing　each　about　twenty…two　pounds；　may　be　purchased　for　a　crown。

Besides　the　particular　charge　I　had　of　the　house　of　Fremona；　I　was　appointed　the　patriarch's　grand…vicar　through　the　whole　kingdom　of　Tigre。　　I　thought　that　to　discharge　this　office　as　I　ought；　it　was　incumbent　on　me　to　provide　necessaries　as　well　for　the　bodies　as　the　souls　of　the　converted　Catholics。　　This　labour　was　much　increased　by　the　famine　which　the　grasshoppers　had　brought　that　year　upon　the　country。　　Our　house　was　perpetually　surrounded　by　some　of　those　unhappy　people；　whom　want　had　compelled　to　abandon　their　habitations；　and　whose　pale　cheeks　and　meagre　bodies　were　undeniable　proofs　of　their　misery　and　distress。　　All　the　relief　I　could　possibly　afford　them　could　not　prevent　the　death　of　such　numbers　that　their　bodies　filled　the　highways；　and　to　increase　our　affliction；　the　wolves　having　devoured　the　carcases；　and　finding　no　other　food；　fell　upon　the　living；　their　natural　fierceness　being　so　increased　by　hunger；　that　they　dragged　the　children　out　of　the　very　houses。　　I　saw　myself　a　troop　of　wolves　tear　a　child　of　six　years　old　in　pieces　before　I　or　any　one　else　could　come　to　its　assistance。

While　I　was　entirely　taken　up　with　the　duties　of　my　ministry；　the　viceroy　of　Tigre　received　the　commands　of　the　Emperor　to　search　for　the　bones　of　Don　Christopher　de　Gama。　　On　this　occasion　it　may　not　be　thought　impertinent　to　give　some　account　of　the　life　and　death　of　this　brave　and　holy　Portuguese；　who；　after　having　been　successful　in　many　battles；　fell　at　last　into　the　hands　of　the　Moors；　and　completed　that　illustrious　life　by　a　glorious　martyrdom。



Chapter　V



The　adventures　of　the　Portuguese；　and　the　actions　of　Don　Christopher　de　Gama　in　Aethiopia。


About　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　century　arose　a　Moor　near　the　Cape　of　Gardafui；　who；　by　the　assistance　of　the　forces　sent　him　from　Moca　by　the　Arabs　and　Turks；　conquered　almost　all　Abyssinia；　and　founded　the　kingdom　of　Adel。　　He　was　called　Mahomet　Gragne；　or　the　Lame。　　When　he　had　ravaged　Aethiopia　fourteen　years；　and　was　master　of　the　greatest　part　of　it；　the　Emperor　David　sent　to　implore　succour　of　the　King　of　Portugal；　with　a　promise　that　when　those　dominions　were　recovered　which　had　been　taken　from　him；　he　would　entirely　submit　himself　to　the　Pope；　and　resign　the　third　part　of　his　territories　to　the　Portuguese。　　After　many　delays；　occasioned　by　the　grea