the land turn broader towards the Delta, whereas before it had been a narrow stripe confined between mountains; observing alfo that they had great command of water for fiting their land for cultivation, nay, that great part of it ran to wafte without profit, which must have been the cafe, fince it is fo at this day oblerving likewife, that the fuperabundance of water in the Nile did harm, and that the neighbouring fandy plains of Libya needed nothing but a judicious dirbution of that was ter, to make it equal to the land of Egypt in fertility, and furpaís it in the variety of natural productions, applied themfi Ives very early to digging large lakes, that, preferving a degree of level fufficient, all the year long watered the dry deferts of Li bya like fo many fruitful fhowers. Geometry, architecture, and all the mechanic arts of thofe times, were employed to accomplish these defigns. Thefe canals and vaft works.commu nicated one with another to imprison the water, and fet it again at liberty at proper time.

We may be fatisfied this was obferved attentively all the time of the dynafiles, or reigns of the Egyptian princes. After the acceffion of the Ptolemics, who were ftrangers, the multitude of inhabitants had greatly decre fed. There was no occafion for works to water lands that were not peopled; fo far, they were neceffary for cities, garden, and pleafure-grounds, they were always kept up. The larger and more extensive conduits, dykes, and fluices, though they were not used, were protected by their own folidity and ftrength from fudden ruin. Egypt, now confined within its ancient narrow valley, had water enough to keep it in culture, and make it still the gra nary of the inhabited world.”

In the war and confufion which followed the dynafty of the Ptolomies, thefe works were neglected; and restored again by Petronius. The Nilometer, deftroyed by Omar, was replaced by his fucceffors, and divided into peeks: the peek used was that ftyled El Belledy, in our author's opinion, equal to twenty-two inches English. The Nilometer is defcribed, but it is not faid from actual obfervation, and every circumstance collected refpecting the inundation, which is either of curiofity or importance. That the country of Egypt falls in its level towards the mountains, is a proof, we think, that the ground has been raifed by the accumulating mud of the Nile; but, though favourable to our opinion, we must add, that Mr. Bruce has adduced no fufficient evidence of the fact. All the water does not, it feems, fall back into the river from the ca

We have not urged the great uncertainty of this new divifion, and the impoffibility of comparing it with the ancient divifions of the Nilometer, in fupport of the formation and the accumulation of the foil of Egypt, becaule there is much reason to fuppole that it has not greatly accumu ated fince the days of Herodotus. M. de l'ifle fuppofes the cubit of the Nilometer equal to about 204 inches. See p. 440.

nals; but has our author examined the level of thefe canals and is it not probable that they should be lower at a distance from the river, to take every advantage of a moderate rife, and to detain the water longer in the driest parts? Some of the water, which arifes from the country near the fource of the Nile, Rows fouth into Ethiopia. This is not uncommon in high grounds, near the ufual fources of large rivers, as may be eafily feen by examining the fituation of fprings: it accounts for the tradition preferved by Herodotus, that one half of the Nile flows into Egypt, while the other half runs to the south. The origin of the Niger Mr. Bruce fuppofes to be in 12 north latitude, and 30° longitude from Greenwich: though copiously fapplied from the neighbouring mountains, it must in its long courfe be much diminished by evaporation. When entire it is called Senega: when divided Senega and Gambia.

Mr. Bruce's refidence among the Agows is distinguished by no important events: the inhabitants, it is probable, from the remaining caverns, feem to have been once Troglodytes, and the fertility of their foil, if they were not impoverished by taxes and haraffed by predatory incurfions, would probably render their fituation comfortable and happy. The weather, though nearly within 10 of the line, is, at this height above the fea, pleasant and agreeable: in the fun only it is difagreeably warm. The period of puberty is early the women are frequently mothers before they are eleven years old, and they are no longer fruitful at thirty. Old age is premature, and the lives of the men or the women feem not to be protracted to a great length. The Nile is the great fource of their adoration; and the spirit of the Nile, which from Mr. Bruce's account feems to be, in their opinion, the fupreme being, appears often, it is faid, to the priest.

It is upon the principal fountain and altar, already mentioned, that once a year, on the firit appearance of the dog. ftar (or, as others fay, eleven days after), this priest affembles the heads of the clans; and having facrificed a black heifer that never bore a calf, they plunge the head of it into this fountain, they then wrap it up in its own hide, fo as no more to be seen, after having fprinkled the hide within and without with water from the fountain. The carcafe is then split in half, and cleaned with extraordinary care; and, thus prepared, it is laid upon the hillock over the first fountain, and washed all over with its water, while the elders, or confiderable people, carry water in their hands joined (it must not be in any dish) from the two other fountains; they then affemble upon the fmall hill a little weft of St. Michael (it ufed to be the place where the church now ftands), there they divide the carcafe into pieces conefponding to the number of the tribes, and cach tribe has privilege, or pretenfions, to particular parts, which are not

in proportion to the prefent confequence of the several clans. Geeth has a principal flice, though the most inconfiderable territory of the whole; Sacala has the next; and Zeegam, the most confiderable of them all in power and riches, has the leaft of the whole. I found it in vain to afk upon what rules this distri bution was founded; their general and conftant anfwer was, it was fo obferved in old times.

6

After having ate this carcafe raw, according to their cuftom, and drank the Nile water to the exclufion of any other li quor, they pile up the bones on the place where they fit, and burn them to afhes. This used to be performed where the church now stands; bút Ras Sela Chriftos, fome time after, having beaten the Agiows, and defirous, at the Jefuits inftigation, to convert them to Christianity, he demolished their altar where the bones were burnt, and built a church upon the fite, the doors of which, I believe, were never opened fince that reign, nor is there now, as far as we could perceive, any Chriftian there who might wish to fee it frequented. After Sela Chriftos had demolished their altar by building this church, they ate the carcafe and burnt the bones on the top of the mountain of Geesh, out of the way of profanation, where the veftiges of this ceremony may yet be feen; but probably the fatigue attending this, and the great indifference their late governors have had for Chriftianity, have brought them back to a small hillock by the fide of the marfh, weft of St. Michael's church, and a little to the fouthward, where they perform this folemnity every year, and they will probably refume their first altar when the church is fallen to ruins, which they are every day privately hatening.

After they have finished their bloody banquet, they carry the head, close wrapt from fight in the hide, into the cavern, which they fay reaches below the fountains, and there, by a common light, without torches, or a number of candles, as denoting a folemnity, they perform their worship, the particu lars of which I never could learn; it is a piece of free-mafonry, which every body knows, and no body ventures to reveal. At a certain time of the night they leave the cave, but at what time, or by what rule, I could not learn; neither would they tell me what became of the head, whether it was ate or buried, or how confumed. The Abyffinians have a story, probably created by themselves, that the devil appears to them, and with him they eat the head, fwearing obedience to him upon certain conditions, that of fending rain, and a good feafon for their bees and cattle: however this may be, it is certain that they pray to the fpirit refiding in the river, whom they call the everlafting God, Light of the World, Eye of the World, God of Peace, their Saviour, and Father of the Univerfe.'

I asked the priest, into whofe good graces I had purpofely infinuated myself, if ever any fpirit had been seen by him? He anfwered, without hesitation, yes; very frequently.

E€ 4

He

faid

faid he had feen the spirit the evening of the third (just as the fun was setting), under a tree, which he fhewed me at a distance, who told him of the death of a fon, and also that a party from Fafil's army was coming; that, being afraid, he confulted his ferpent, who ate readily and heartily, from which he knew no harm was to befal him from us. I afked him if he could prevail on the fpirit to appear to me? He said he could not venture to make this request. If he thought he would ap pear to me, if, in the evening, I fat under that tree alone? He faid he believed not. He faid he was of a very graceful figure and appearance; he thought rather older than middle, age; but he feldom chofe to look at his face; he had a long white beard, his cloaths not like theirs, of leather, but like filk, of the fashion of the country. I asked him how he was certain it was not a man? he laughed, or rather fneered, thaking his head, and faying, no, no, it is no man, but a fpirit. I asked him then what fpirit he thought it was? he faid it was of the river, it was God, the father of mankind; but I never could bring him to be more explicit. I then defired to know why he prayed against thunder. He faid, becaufe it was hurtful to the bees, their great revenue being honey and wax: then, why he prayed for ferpents? He replied, because they taught him the coming of good or evil. It feems they have all feveral of these creatures in their neighbourhood, and the richer fort always in their houses, whom they take care of, and feed before they undertake a journey, or any affair of confequence.'

The number of the Agows is confiderable, but from their wars the population is much diminished. They prevent butter from melting and putrifying, by a yellow root, called moc-moco, of which our author has brought home fome of the feeds, fo that this property may be brought to the test of experiment. The volume ends with a register of the quantity of rain which fell in the rainy months at Gondar in 1770, and the oppofite hill of Kofcam in 1771. The quantities were 35-555, and 41.355 respectively. The largest portion of the quantity by far falls in July and Auguft: it amounted to 25.658, and 24.379.

On their return to Gondar, our author's adventures are curious, and some of the customs obferved among the inhabitants, at whofe houfes Mr. Bruce was entertained, are fingular. If a ftranger, for inftance, refides for any time in the house, the mafter must cloath him, though he be much poorer than his gueft. This refpect our author once paid to Walled Amlac, and he was kindly entertained, and conducted through two hoftile armies in fafety in return. At this house he was inftructed in a cuftom of the Maitha and Galla, who establish a relationship by infifting on the ftrangers fleeping with one of the female relations. Melectanea, Welled Almac's fifter, was the chofen object to cement this new alliance, and Mr. Bruce does not seem

to

to complain of the feverity of the cuftom, for fhe was handsome, and had not exceeded her eighteenth year. When our author reached Gondar he found confufion, worse confounded: the king's affairs were rendered more precarious by the treachery of the Iteghè, or queen-mother; and the doubtful fidelity of those who adhered to the king, rendered his fituation very dangerous. But Ras Michael was himself a hoft; he had for twenty-five years been accustomed to victory; and the spirit and ability of fome of the chieftains, whofe loyalty was most to be depended on, added to the confidence of the king's party. If fome of these pictures are not overcharged, we must allow no inconfiderable merit to the Abyffinian princes: military talents feem united in them with fpirit, dignity, prudence, and judgment. Our author accompanies the king in his next campaign; and his account of it is in many refpects interesting. It is impoffible to abridge it, and we must therefore refer to the work. The defcription of Guangoul, chief of the eastern Galla, is fingular, and his appearance greatly refembles that of the Caffrarians.

He was a little, thin, cross-made man, of no apparent ftrength or fwiftnefs, as far as could be conjectured; his legs and thighs being thin and fmall for his body, and his head large; he was of a yellow, unwholfome colour, not black nor brown; he had long hair plaited and interwoven with the bowels of oxen, and fo knotted and twifted together as to ren❤ der it impoflible to diftinguith the hair from the bowels, which hung down in long ftrings, part before his breaft and part behind his fhoulder, the most extraordinary ringlets I had ever feen. He had likewife a wreath of guts hung about his neck, and several rounds of the fame about his middle, which ferved as a girdle, below which was a fhort cotton cloth dipt in butter, and all his body was wet, and running down with the fame; he feemed to be about fifty years of age, with a confident and infolent fuperiority painted in his face. In his country, it feems, when he appears in ftate, the beast he rides upon is a cow. He was then in full drefs and ceremony, and mounted upon one, not of the largest fort, but which had monftrous horns. He had no faddle on his cow. He had fhort drawers, that did not reach the middle of his thighs; his knees, feet, legs, and all his body were bare. He had a fhield of a fingle hide, warped by the heat in feveral directions, and much in the hape of a high-crowned, large ftraw-har, with which the fafhionable women in our own country fometimes disguise themfelves. He carried a fhort lance in his right hand, with an illmade iron head, and a shaft that feemed to be of thorn-tree, but altogether without ornament, which is feldom the cafe with the arms of barbarians. Whether it was neceflary for the poizing himfelf upon the fharp ridge of the beal's back, or whe

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