a voyage to abyssinia-第23部分

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pieces。　　The　river　horse；　which　lives　only　on　grass　and　branches　of　trees；　is　satisfied　with　killing　the　men；　but　the　crocodile　being　more　voracious；　feeds　upon　the　carcases。

But　since　I　am　arrived　at　the　banks　of　this　renowned　river；　which　I　have　passed　and　repassed　so　many　times；　and　since　all　that　I　have　read　of　the　nature　of　its　waters；　and　the　causes　of　its　overflowing；　is　full　of　fables；　the　reader　may　not　be　displeased　to　find　here　an　account　of　what　I　saw　myself；　or　was　told　by　the　inhabitants。



Chapter　X



A　description　of　the　Nile。


The　Nile；　which　the　natives　call　Abavi；　that　is；　the　Father　of　Waters；　rises　first　in　Sacala；　a　province　of　the　kingdom　of　Goiama；　which　is　one　of　the　most　fruitful　and　agreeable　of　all　the　Abyssinian　dominions。　　This　province　is　inhabited　by　a　nation　of　the　Agaus；　who　call；　but　only　call；　themselves　Christians；　for　by　daily　intermarriages　they　have　allied　themselves　to　the　Pagan　Agaus；　and　adopted　all　their　customs　and　ceremonies。　　These　two　nations　are　very　numerous；　fierce；　and　unconquerable；　inhabiting　a　country　full　of　mountains；　which　are　covered　with　woods；　and　hollowed　by　nature　into　vast　caverns；　many　of　which　are　capable　of　containing　several　numerous　families；　and　hundreds　of　cows。　　To　these　recesses　the　Agaus　betake　themselves　when　they　are　driven　out　of　the　plain；　where　it　is　almost　impossible　to　find　them；　and　certain　ruin　to　pursue　them。　　This　people　increases　extremely；　every　man　being　allowed　so　many　wives　as　he　hath　hundreds　of　cows；　and　it　is　seldom　that　the　hundreds　are　required　to　be　complete。

In　the　eastern　part　of　this　kingdom；　on　the　declivity　of　a　mountain；　whose　descent　is　so　easy　that　it　seems　a　beautiful　plain；　is　that　source　of　the　Nile　which　has　been　sought　after　at　so　much　expense　of　labour；　and　about　which　such　variety　of　conjectures　hath　been　formed　without　success。　　This　spring；　or　rather　these　two　springs；　are　two　holes；　each　about　two　feet　diameter；　a　stone's　cast　distant　from　each　other；　the　one　is　but　about　five　feet　and　a　half　in　depthat　least　we　could　not　get　our　plummet　farther；　perhaps　because　it　was　stopped　by　roots；　for　the　whole　place　is　full　of　trees；　of　the　other；　which　is　somewhat　less；　with　a　line　of　ten　feet　we　could　find　no　bottom；　and　were　assured　by　the　inhabitants　that　none　ever　had　been　found。　　It　is　believed　here　that　these　springs　are　the　vents　of　a　great　subterraneous　lake；　and　they　have　this　circumstance　to　favour　their　opinion；　that　the　ground　is　always　moist　and　so　soft　that　the　water　boils　up　under　foot　as　one　walks　upon　it。　　This　is　more　visible　after　rains；　for　then　the　ground　yields　and　sinks　so　much；　that　I　believe　it　is　chiefly　supported　by　the　roots　of　trees　that　are　interwoven　one　with　another；　such　is　the　ground　round　about　these　fountains。　　At　a　little　distance　to　the　south　is　a　village　named　Guix；　through　which　the　way　lies　to　the　top　of　the　mountain；　from　whence　the　traveller　discovers　a　vast　extent　of　land；　which　appears　like　a　deep　valley；　though　the　mountain　rises　so　imperceptibly　that　those　who　go　up　or　down　it　are　scarce　sensible　of　any　declivity。

On　the　top　of　this　mountain　is　a　little　hill　which　the　idolatrous　Agaus　have　in　great　veneration；　their　priest　calls　them　together　at　this　place　once　a　year；　and　having　sacrificed　a　cow；　throws　the　head　into　one　of　the　springs　of　the　Nile；　after　which　ceremony；　every　one　sacrifices　a　cow　or　more；　according　to　their　different　degrees　of　wealth　or　devotion。　　The　bones　of　these　cows　have　already　formed　two　mountains　of　considerable　height；　which　afford　a　sufficient　proof　that　these　nations　have　always　paid　their　adorations　to　this　famous　river。　　They　eat　these　sacrifices　with　great　devotion；　as　flesh　consecrated　to　their　deity。　　Then　the　priest　anoints　himself　with　the　grease　and　tallow　of　the　cows；　and　sits　down　on　a　heap　of　straw；　on　the　top　and　in　the　middle　of　a　pile　which　is　prepared；　they　set　fire　to　it；　and　the　whole　heap　is　consumed　without　any　injury　to　the　priest；　who　while　the　fire　continues　harangues　the　standers　by；　and　confirms　them　in　their　present　ignorance　and　superstition。　　When　the　pile　is　burnt；　and　the　discourse　at　an　end；　every　one　makes　a　large　present　to　the　priest；　which　is　the　grand　design　of　this　religious　mockery。

To　return　to　the　course　of　the　Nile：　　its　waters；　after　the　first　rise；　run　to　the　eastward　for　about　a　musket…shot；　then　turning　to　the　north；　continue　hidden　in　the　grass　and　weeds　for　about　a　quarter　of　a　league；　and　discover　themselves　for　the　first　time　among　some　rocksa　sight　not　to　be　enjoyed　without　some　pleasure　by　those　who　have　read　the　fabulous　accounts　of　this　stream　delivered　by　the　ancients；　and　the　vain　conjectures　and　reasonings　which　have　been　formed　upon　its　original；　the　nature　of　its　water；　its　cataracts；　and　its　inundations；　all　which　we　are　now　entirely　acquainted　with　and　eye…witnesses　of。

Many　interpreters　of　the　Holy　Scriptures　pretend　that　Gihon；　mentioned　in　Genesis；　is　no　other　than　the　Nile；　which　encompasseth　all　Aethiopia；　but　as　the　Gihon　had　its　source　from　the　terrestrial　paradise；　and　we　know　that　the　Nile　rises　in　the　country　of　the　Agaus；　it　will　be　found；　I　believe；　no　small　difficulty　to　conceive　how　the　same　river　could　arise　from　two　sources　so　distant　from　each　other；　or　how　a　river　from　so　low　a　source　should　spring　up　and　appear　in　a　place　perhaps　the　highest　in　the　world：　　for　if　we　consider　that　Arabia　and　Palestine　are　in　their　situation　almost　level　with　Egypt；　that　Egypt　is　as　low；　if　compared　with　the　kingdom　of　Dambia；　as　the　deepest　valley　in　regard　of　the　highest　mountain；　that　the　province　of　Sacala　is　yet　more　elevated　than　Dambia；　that　the　waters　of　the　Nile　must　either　pass　under　the　Red　Sea；　or　take　a　great　compass　about；　we　shall　find　it　hard　to　conceive　such　an　attractive　power　in　the　earth　as　may　be　able　to　make　the　waters　rise　through　the　obstruction　of　so　much　sand　from　places　so　low　to　the　most　lofty　region　of　Aethiopia。

But　leaving　these　difficulties；　let　us　go　on　to　describe　the　course　of　the　Nile。　　It　rolls　away　from　its　source　with　so　inconsiderable　a　current；　that　it　appears　unlikely　to　escape　being　dried　up　by　the　hot　season；　but　soon　receiving　an　increase　from　the　Gemma；　the　Keltu；　the　Bransu；　and　other　less　rivers；　it　is　of　such　a　breadth　in　the　plain　of　Boad；　which　is　not　above　three　days'　journey　from　its　source；　that　a　ball　shot　from　a　musket　will　scarce　fly　from　one　bank　to　the　other。　　Here　it　begins　to　run　northwards；　deflecting；　however；　a　little　towards　the　east；　for　the　space　of　nine　or　ten　leagues；　and　then　enters　the　so　much　talked　of　Lake　of　Dambia；　called　by　the　natives　Bahar　Sena；　the　Resemblance　of　the　Sea；　or　Bahar　Dambia；　the　Sea　of　Dambia。　　It　crosses　this　lake　only　at　one　end　with　so　violent　a　rapidity；　that　the　waters　of　the　Nile　may　be　distinguished　through　all　the　passage；　which　is　six　leagues。　　Here　begins　the　greatness　of　the　Nile。　　Fifteen　miles　farther；　in　the　land　of　Alata；　it　rushes　precipitately　from　the　top　of　a　high　rock；　and　forms　one　of　the　most　beautiful　water…falls　in　the　world：　　I　passed　under　it　without　being　wet；　and　resting　myself　there；　for　the　sake　of　the　coolness；　was　charmed　with　a　thousand　de