a voyage to abyssinia-第16章

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　his　mouth。　　Neither　I；　nor　any　with　whom　I　have　conversed　about　the　crocodile；　have　ever　seen　him　weep；　and　therefore　I　take　the　liberty　of　ranking　all　that　hath　been　told　us　of　his　tears　amongst　the　fables　which　are　only　proper　to　amuse　children。

The　hippopotamus；　or　river…horse；　grazes　upon　the　land　and　browses　on　the　shrubs；　yet　is　no　less　dangerous　than　the　crocodile。　　He　is　the　size　of　an　ox；　of　a　brown　colour　without　any　hair；　his　tail　is　short；　his　neck　long；　and　his　head　of　an　enormous　bigness；　his　eyes　are　small；　his　mouth　wide；　with　teeth　half　a　foot　long；　he　hath　two　tusks　like　those　of　a　wild　boar；　but　larger；　his　legs　are　short；　and　his　feet　part　into　four　toes。　　It　is　easy　to　observe　from　this　description　that　he　hath　no　resemblance　of　a　horse；　and　indeed　nothing　could　give　occasion　to　the　name　but　some　likeness　in　his　ears；　and　his　neighing　and　snorting　like　a　horse　when　he　is　provoked　or　raises　his　head　out　of　water。　　His　hide　is　so　hard　that　a　musket　fired　close　to　him　can　only　make　a　slight　impression；　and　the　best　tempered　lances　pushed　forcibly　against　him　are　either　blunted　or　shivered；　unless　the　assailant　has　the　skill　to　make　his　thrust　at　certain　parts　which　are　more　tender。　　There　is　great　danger　in　meeting　him；　and　the　best　way　is；　upon　such　an　accident；　to　step　aside　and　let　him　pass　by。　　The　flesh　of　this　animal　doth　not　differ　from　that　of　a　cow；　except　that　it　is　blacker　and　harder　to　digest。

The　ignorance　which　we　have　hitherto　been　in　of　the　original　of　the　Nile　hath　given　many　authors　an　opportunity　of　presenting　us　very　gravely　with　their　various　systems　and　conjectures　about　the　nature　of　its　waters；　and　the　reason　of　its　overflows。

It　is　easy　to　observe　how　many　empty　hypotheses　and　idle　reasonings　the　phenomena　of　this　river　have　put　mankind　to　the　expense　of。　　Yet　there　are　people　so　bigoted　to　antiquity；　as　not　to　pay　any　regard　to　the　relation　of　travellers　who　have　been　upon　the　spot；　and　by　the　evidence　of　their　eyes　can　confute　all　that　the　ancients　have　written。　　It　was　difficult；　it　was　even　impossible；　to　arrive　at　the　source　of　the　Nile　by　tracing　its　channel　from　the　mouth；　and　all　who　ever　attempted　it；　having　been　stopped　by　the　cataracts；　and　imagining　none　that　followed　them　could　pass　farther；　have　taken　the　liberty　of　entertaining　us　with　their　own　fictions。

It　is　to　be　remembered　likewise　that　neither　the　Greeks　nor　Romans；　from　whom　we　have　received　all　our　information；　ever　carried　their　arms　into　this　part　of　the　world；　or　ever　heard　of　multitudes　of　nations　that　dwell　upon　the　banks　of　this　vast　river；　that　the　countries　where　the　Nile　rises；　and　those　through　which　it　runs；　have　no　inhabitants　but　what　are　savage　and　uncivilised；　that　before　they　could　arrive　at　its　head；　they　must　surmount　the　insuperable　obstacles　of　impassable　forests；　inaccessible　cliffs；　and　deserts　crowded　with　beasts　of　prey；　fierce　by　nature；　and　raging　for　want　of　sustenance。　　Yet　if　they　who　endeavoured　with　so　much　ardour　to　discover　the　spring　of　this　river　had　landed　at　Mazna　on　the　coast　of　the　Red　Sea；　and　marched　a　little　more　to　the　south　than　the　south…west；　they　might　perhaps　have　gratified　their　curiosity　at　less　expense；　and　in　about　twenty　days　might　have　enjoyed　the　desired　sight　of　the　sources　of　the　Nile。

But　this　discovery　was　reserved　for　the　invincible　bravery　of　our　noble　countrymen；　who；　not　discouraged　by　the　dangers　of　a　navigation　in　seas　never　explored　before；　have　subdued　kingdoms　and　empires　where　the　Greek　and　Roman　greatness；　where　the　names　of　Caesar　and　Alexander；　were　never　heard　of；　who　have　demolished　the　airy　fabrics　of　renowned　hypotheses；　and　detected　those　fables　which　the　ancients　rather　chose　to　invent　of　the　sources　of　the　Nile　than　to　confess　their　ignorance。　　I　cannot　help　suspending　my　narration　to　reflect　a　little　on　the　ridiculous　speculations　of　those　swelling　philosophers；　whose　arrogance　would　prescribe　laws　to　nature；　and　subject　those　astonishing　effects；　which　we　behold　daily；　to　their　idle　reasonings　and　chimerical　rules。　　Presumptuous　imagination！　that　has　given　being　to　such　numbers　of　books；　and　patrons　to　so　many　various　opinions　about　the　overflows　of　the　Nile。　　Some　of　these　theorists　have　been　pleased　to　declare　it　as　their　favourite　notion　that　this　inundation　is　caused　by　high　winds　which　stop　the　current；　and　so　force　the　water　to　rise　above　its　banks；　and　spread　over　all　Egypt。　　Others　pretend　a　subterraneous　communication　between　the　ocean　and　the　Nile；　and　that　the　sea　being　violently　agitated　swells　the　river。　　Many　have　imagined　themselves　blessed　with　the　discovery　when　they　have　told　us　that　this　mighty　flood　proceeds　from　the　melting　of　snow　on　the　mountains　of　Aethiopia；　without　reflecting　that　this　opinion　is　contrary　to　the　received　notion　of　all　the　ancients；　who　believed　that　the　heat　was　so　excessive　between　the　tropics　that　no　inhabitant　could　live　there。　So　much　snow　and　so　great　heat　are　never　met　with　in　the　same　region；　and　indeed　I　never　saw　snow　in　Abyssinia；　except　on　Mount　Semen　in　the　kingdom　of　Tigre；　very　remote　from　the　Nile；　and　on　Namera；　which　is　indeed　not　far　distant；　but　where　there　never　falls　snow　sufficient　to　wet　the　foot　of　the　mountain　when　it　is　melted。

To　the　immense　labours　and　fatigues　of　the　Portuguese　mankind　is　indebted　for　the　knowledge　of　the　real　cause　of　these　inundations　so　great　and　so　regular。　　Their　observations　inform　us　that　Abyssinia；　where　the　Nile　rises　and　waters　vast　tracts　of　land；　is　full　of　mountains；　and　in　its　natural　situation　much　higher　than　Egypt；　that　all　the　winter；　from　June　to　September；　no　day　is　without　rain；　that　the　Nile　receives　in　its　course　all　the　rivers；　brooks；　and　torrents　which　fall　from　those　mountains；　these　necessarily　swell　it　above　the　banks；　and　fill　the　plains　of　Egypt　with　the　inundation。　　This　comes　regularly　about　the　month　of　July；　or　three　weeks　after　the　beginning　of　a　rainy　season　in　Aethiopia。　　The　different　degrees　of　this　flood　are　such　certain　indications　of　the　fruitfulness　or　sterility　of　the　ensuing　year；　that　it　is　publicly　proclaimed　in　Cairo　how　much　the　water　hath　gained　each　night。　　This　is　all　I　have　to　inform　the　reader　of　concerning　the　Nile；　which　the　Egyptians　adored　as　the　deity；　in　whose　choice　it　was　to　bless　them　with　abundance；　or　deprive　them　of　the　necessaries　of　life。



Chapter　XI



The　author　discovers　a　passage　over　the　Nile。　　Is　sent　into　the　province　of　Ligonus；　which　he　gives　a　description　of。　　His　success　in　his　mission。　　The　stratagem　of　the　monks　to　encourage　the　soldiers。　　The　author　narrowly　escapes　being　burned。


When　I　was　to　cross　this　river　at　Boad；　I　durst　not　venture　myself　on　the　floats　I　have　already　spoken　of；　but　went　up　higher　in　hopes　of　finding　a　more　commodious　passage。　　I　had　with　me　three　or　four　men　that　were　reduced　to　the　same　difficulty　with　myself。　　In　one　part　seeing　people　on　the　other　side；　and　remarking　that　the　water　was　shallow；　and　that　the　rocks　and　trees　which　grew　very　thick　there　contributed　to　facilitate　the　attempt；　I　leaped　from　one　rock　to　another；　till　I　reached　the　opposite　bank；　to　the　great　amazement　of　the　natives　themselves；　who　never　had　tried　that　way；　my　four　companions　followed　me　with　the　same　success：　　and　it　hath　been　called　since　the　passage　of　Father　Jerome。

That　province　of　the　kingdom　of　Damot；　which　I　was　assigned　to　by　my　superior；　is　called　Ligonus；　and　is　perhaps　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　agreeable　places　in　the　world；　the　air　is　healthful　and　temperate；　and　all　the　mountains；　which　are　not　very　high；　shaded　with　cedars。　　They　sow　and　reap　here　in　every　season；　the　ground　is　always　producing；　and　the　fruits　ripen　throughout　the　year；　so　great；　so　charming　is　the　variety；　that　the　whole　region　seems　a　garden　laid　out　and　cultivated　only　to　please。　　I　doubt　whether　even　the　imagination　of　a　painter　has　yet　conceived　a　landscape　as　beautiful　as　I　have　seen。　　The　forests　have　nothing　uncouth　or　savage；　and　seem　only　planted　for　shade　and　coolness。　Among　a　prodigious　number　of　trees　which　fill　them；　there　is　one　kind　which　I　have　seen　in　no　other　place；　and　to　which　we　have　none　that　bears　any　resemblance。　　This　tree；　which　the　natives　call　ensete；　is　wonderfully　useful；　its　leaves；　which　are　so　large　as　to　cover　a　man；　make　hangings　for　rooms；　and　serve　the　inhabitants　instead　of　linen　for　their　tables　and　carpets。　　They　grind　the　branches　and　the　thick　parts　of　the　leaves；　and　when　they　are　mingled　with　milk；　find　them　a　delicious　food。　　The　trunk　and　the　roots　are　even　more　nourishing　than　the　leaves　or　branches；　and　the　meaner　people；　when　they　go　a　journey；　make　no　provision　of　any　other　victuals。　　The　word　ensete　signifies　the　tree　against　hunger；　or　the　poor's　tree；　though　the　most　wealthy　often　eat　of　it。　　If　it　be　cut　down　within　half　a　foot　of　the　ground　and　several　incisions　made　in　the　stump；　each　will　put　out　a　new　sprout；　which；　if　transplanted；　will　take　root　and　grow　to　a　tree。　　The　Abyssins　report　that　this　tree　when　it　is　cut　down　groans　like　a　man；　and；　on　this　account；　call　cutting　down　an　ensete　killing　it。　　On　the　top　grows　a　bunch　of　five　or　six　figs；　of　a　taste　not　very　agreeable；　which　they　set　in　the　ground　to　produce　more　trees。

I　stayed　two　months　in　the　province　of　Ligonus；　and　during　that　time　procured　a　church　to　be　built　of　hewn　stone；　roofed　and　wainscoted　with　cedar；　which　is　the　most　considerable　in　the　whole　country。　　My　continual　employment　was　the　duties　of　the　mission；　which　I　was　always　practising　in　some　part　of　the　province；　not　indeed　with　any　extraordinary　success　at　first；　for　I　found　the　people　inflexibly　obstinate　in　their　opinions；　even　to　so　great　a　degree；　that　when　I　first　published　the　Emperor's　edict　requiring　all　his　subjects　to　renounce　their　errors；　and　unite　themselves　to　the　Roman　Church；　there　were　some　monks　who；　to　the　number　of　sixty；　chose　rather　to　die　by　throwing　themselves　headlong　from　a　precipice　than　obey　their　sovereign's　commands：　　and　in　a　battle　fought　between　these　people　that　adhered　to　the　religion　of　their　ancestors；　and　the　troops　of　Sultan　Segued；　six　hundred　religious；　placing　themselves　at　the　head　of　their　men；　marched　towards　the　Catholic　army　with　the　stones　of　the　altars　upon　their　heads；　assuring　their　credulous　followers　that　the　Emperor's　troops　would　immediately　at　the　sight　of　those　stones　fall　into　disorder　and　turn　their　backs；　but；　as　they　were　some　of　the　first　that　fell；　their　death　had　a　great　influence　upon　the　people　to　undeceive　them；　and　make　them　return　to　the　truth。　　Many　were　converted　after　the　battle；　and　when　they　had　embraced　the　Catholic　faith；　adhered　to　that　with　the　same　constancy　and　firmness　with　which　they　had　before　persisted　in　their　errors。

The　Emperor　had　sent　a　viceroy　into　this　province；　whose　firm　attachment　to　the　Roman　Church；　as　well　as　great　abilities　in　military　affairs；　made　him　a　person　very　capable　of　executing　the　orders　of　the　Emperor；　and　of　suppressing　any　insurrection　that　might　be　raised；　to　prevent　those　alterations　in　religion　which　they　were　designed　to　promote：　　a　farther　view　in　the　choice　of　so　warlike　a　deputy　was　that　a　stop　might　be　put　to　the　inroads　of　the　Galles；　who　had　kille