The only mention I shall make of the natural productions of this place comes the more properly in here, as it relates to my account of the religion of this people. In the writings of the Jesuits, the Agows are said to worship canes[183]; but of this I could find no traces among them. I saw no plant of this kind in their whole country, excepting some large bamboo-trees. This plant, in the Agows language, is called Krihaha. It grows in great quantity upon the sides of the precipice of Geesh, and helps to conceal the cavern we have already mentioned; but though we cut several pieces of these canes, they shewed no sort of emotion, nor to be the least interested in what we were doing.
Our business being now done, nothing remained but to depart. We had passed our time in perfect harmony; the address of Woldo, and the great attachment of our friend Irepone, had kept our house in a chearful abundance. We had lived, it is true, too magnificently for philosophers, but neither idly nor riotously; and I believe never will any sovereign of Geesh be again so popular, or reign over his subjects with greater mildness. I had practised medicine gratis, and killed, for three days successively, a cow each day for the poor and the neighbours. I had cloathed the high priest of the Nile from head to foot, as also his two sons, and had decorated two of his daughters with beads of all the colours of the rainbow, adding every other little present they seemed fond of, or that we thought would be agreeable. As for our amiable Irepone, we had reserved for her the choicest of our presents, the most valuable of every article we had with us, and a large proportion of every one of them; we gave her, besides, some gold; but she, more generous and nobler in her sentiments than us, seemed to pay little attention to these that announced to her the separation from her friend; she tore her fine hair, which she had every day before braided in a newer and more graceful manner; she threw herself upon the ground in the house, and refused to see us mount on horseback, or take our leave, and came not to the door till we were already set out, then followed us with her good wishes and her eyes as far as she could see or be heard.
I took my leave of Kefla Abay, the venerable priest of the most famous river in the world, who recommended me with great earnestness to the care of his god, which, as Strates humorously enough observed, meant nothing less than he hoped the devil would take me. All the young men in the village, with lances and shields, attended us to Saint Michael Sacala, that is, to the borders of their country, and end of my little sovereignty.
REGISTER
OF THE
QUANTITY OF RAIN-WATER,
IN INCHES AND DECIMALS,
WHICH FELL AT GONDAR, IN ABYSSINIA, IN THE YEAR 1770,
THROUGH A FUNNEL OF ONE FOOT ENGLISH IN DIAMETER.
| INCHES. | ||
| The rain began this year on the first of March: there fell in showers, that lasted only a Few minutes, between the 1st of March and the last of April, | .039 | |
| MAY. | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | From the 1st to the 6th, | .039 |
| From the 6th to the 8th, | .120 | |
| From the 10th to the 12th it rained chiefly in the night, | .711 | |
| From the 12th to the 14th, | .123 | |
| 19. | At four in the afternoon a small shower, but heavy rain in the night, | .526 |
| 21. | At 7 o’clock in the evening a small shower, which continued moderately through the night, | .171 |
| 27. | At 6 in the evening heavy rain for an hour, | .540 |
| 29. | At 3 in the afternoon frequent showers of light rain. It continued one hour 30 minutes, | .487 |
| Total rain in May, | 2.717 | |
| JUNE. | ||
| 1. | At 12 noon, light rain for 15 minutes, | .028 |
| 2. | Between 12 o’clock night it has rained 30 minutes, in small showers, which lasted 5 or 6 minutes at a time, | .049 |
| 4. | At 8 in the morning slight showers for 30 minutes, | .014 |
| 5. | Between 6 and 10 in the morning four small showers, that lasted 32 minutes, and at 12 a very gentle rain that lasted 15 minutes, | .031 |
| 10. | It has rained very violently for 6 hours 30 minutes, | .342 |
| 11. | Between 2 and 6 in the afternoon, at three several times, it has rained 20 minutes, | .014 |
| 12. | At noon a violent rain for one hour 30 minutes. At half past 1 in the afternoon light rain for an hour. At 4 afternoon, light rain for 30 minutes. At half past six same afternoon, a very gentle rain for 3 hours, | .421 |
| 13. | Between 4 and 5 afternoon it rained twice for 15 minutes, but not perceptible in the recipient, | —— |
| 16. | Between 2 and 6 afternoon it has rained three times smart showers, in all about 20 minutes, | .033 |
| 17. | There fell in the night small rain for an hour, | .002 |
| 18. | At 1 afternoon there was a strong shower for 15 minutes. At half past 1 another for 45 minutes. Same day at 6 afternoon, it rained at intervals for 2 hours, | .750 |
| 19. | At half after 2 afternoon it began to rain violently with intervals. At night a slight shower for 20 minutes, | .118 |
| 20. | At twelve noon there was a very slight shower for 6 minutes. At half past 5, same day, a small shower that lasted 30 minutes. At 8 o’clock evening it began to rain smartly at intervals for 4 hours, | .171 |
| 21. | At a quarter past 11 it rained violently with thunder and lightning for about 2 hours. At half past 4 in the evening it rained, with intervals, in all about 45 minutes, | .330 |
| 22. | At half past 12 noon, it rained an hour, | .175 |
| 23. | At one o’clock afternoon slight showers for 2 hours. Heavy rain in the night for 4 hours, | .358 |
| 25. | At a quarter past one afternoon, a small shower, which lasted one hour 35 minutes. At night it rained one hour 30 minutes; heavy rain with thunder and lightning, | .552 |
| 26. | At two in the afternoon, violent rain with intervals for 30 minutes. At half past five it rained for 30 minutes; and the beginning of the night for three hours, | .233 |
| 27. | At a quarter past twelve, a small shower for one hour 45 minutes, and at night a moderate shower, | .302 |
| 28. | At half past twelve, a gentle rain. At 50 minutes after twelve, violent. At two in the afternoon very gentle rain for 15 minutes; and at 7, moderate rain for one hour and 30 minutes, | .290 |
| 29. | At 1 in the afternoon, light rain, but a heavy rain must have fallen somewhere else, as the river Kahha is overflowed, | .092 |
| 30. | At noon a very gentle rain for 15 minutes, | .002 |
| Total rain in June, | 4.307 | |
| JULY. | ||
| 1. | At 20 minutes past eleven, strong rain for 30 minutes, with some showers through the night, | .306 |
| 2. | At half past eleven, a small shower for 30 minutes, and then, at twelve, a violent shower, wind south-west, for 45 minutes, | .792 |
| 3. | It rained at four in the afternoon, and in the night, | .311 |
| 4. | It rained from twelve to two, and in the night likewise, | .390 |
| 5. | It rained at noon, and some in the night, | .029 |
| 7. | It rained and hailed violently. It rained in the night likewise, | 1.686 |
| 8. | Light rain in the night, | .038 |
| 9. | Light rain for a few minutes, and no more all day; but the river Kahha has suddenly overflowed, and there is appearance of rain on the Mountain of the Sun, | .017 |
| 10. | No rain, | —— |
| 11. | Ditto, | —— |
| 12. | At half an hour past noon it rained violently, | .422 |
| 13. | Violent rain at mid-day, and also in the night, | 1.185 |
| 14. | A few light showers night and day, | .054 |
| 15. | A small shower in the evening, and another in the night, | .251 |
| 16. | No rain, | —— |
| 17. | A small shower at one in the afternoon, and flying showers throughout the day. It rained at ten at night violently, | .658 |
| 18. | A gentle shower at noon, but continued raining in the night, | .463 |
| 19. | Light showers all the night, | .237 |
| 20. | It rained all night till eight o’clock next morning, | .714 |
| 21. | Light showers in the afternoon, but violent rain in the night, | 1.329 |
| 22. | Light showers in the evening, | .174 |
| 23. | It rained one shower at half past ten in the morning, | .107 |
| 24. | Light showers night and day, | .226 |
| 25. | Light rains and frequent, | .015 |
| 26. | Light showers throughout the evening, | .081 |
| 27. | Light rains, | .148 |
| 28. | Flying showers, | .070 |
| 29. | Ditto, | .081 |
| 30. | Light showers, | .013 |
| 31. | Flying light showers night and day, | .292 |
| Total rain in July, | 10.089 | |
| AUGUST. | ||
| 1. | Light rain in the afternoon, | .056 |
| 2. | It rained in the night smartly, | .329 |
| 3. | It rained at noon violently, | 1.318 |
| 4. | It rained from mid-day to evening, and some showers in the night, | 1.723 |
| 5. | At 2 in the afternoon it began to rain violently for 2 hours, | 1.042 |
| 6. | Smart showers at different times in the evening and night, | .490 |
| 7. | It rained in the night, | .580 |
| 8. | Light rain in the night, | .053 |
| 9. | Flying showers through the day, but for 6 minutes. Evening very violent, | .186 |
| 10. | Smart showers in the evening and night, | .342 |
| 11. & 12. | Frequent showers, with a high wind, | 1.184 |
| 13. & 14. | Light rain the first day, but violent on the second, | 1.423 |
| 15. | Fair all day, but rained at night, | .475 |
| 16. | Flying showers night and day, | .144 |
| 17. | A very violent shower of short duration, | .371 |
| 18. & 19. | Several small showers, | .609 |
| 20. & 21. | Frequent light showers, | .236 |
| 22. & 23. | Constant rain, | 1.502 |
| 24. | Frequent showers in the evening, | .306 |
| 25. & 26. | Constant rain, | 1.763 |
| 27. | Frequent showers, | .289 |
| 28. | Ditto, | .280 |
| 29. | It rained in the night, | .355 |
| 30. | Ditto, | .302 |
| 31. | Ditto, | .211 |
| Total rain in August, | 15.569 | |
| SEPTEMBER. | ||
| 1. | It rained in the night, | .079 |
| 2. | Ditto, | .107 |
| 3. & 4. | Frequent showers night and day, | .358 |
| 5. & 6. | Ditto, | .568 |
| 7. | It rained in the night only, | .213 |
| 8. | No rain, | —— |
| 9. | It rained violently for a few minutes at 8 in the Evening, | .055 |
| 10. | No rain, | —— |
| 11. | It rained in the night only, | .227 |
| 12. | It rained smartly in the night, | .566 |
| 13. | No rain, | —— |
| 14. | Light showers in the day, | .042 |
| 15. | Frequent showers night and day, | .159 |
| 16. | It rained a little in the night, | .132 |
| 18. | No rain, | —— |
| 19. | Ditto, | —— |
| 20. | Flying showers night and day, | .263 |
| 21. | No rain, | —— |
| 22. | Ditto, | —— |
| 23. | Some rain in the night, | .039 |
| 24. | Ditto, | .026 |
| 25. | The rain ceased, | —— |
| Total rain in September, | 2.834 | |
N. B. This is the festival of the Cross in Egypt, when the inundation begins to abate. It rains no more in Abyssinia till towards the beginning of November, and then only for a few days; but these are the rains Abyssinia cannot want for their latter crops, and it was for these the Agows prayed when we were at the fountains of the Nile the 5th of November 1770.
STATE
OF THE
QUANTITY OF RAIN-WATER,
WHICH FELL IN ABYSSINIA AT KOSCAM, THE QUEEN’S PALACE, IN 1771, DURING THE RAINY MONTHS,
THROUGH A FUNNEL OF ONE FOOT ENGLISH IN DIAMETER, AS IN THE PRECEDING YEAR 1770.
| FEBRUARY. | ||
|---|---|---|
| INCHES. | ||
| 23. | This day it rained, for the first time, from a quarter before four o’clock afternoon to half past four ditto, | .003 |
| 28. | It rained in the night one hour and a quarter, | .001 |
| MARCH. | ||
| 4. | It rained in the night near two hours small rain, | .042 |
| 7. | It rained a small shower in the evening, | .014 |
| 12. | It rained three quarters of an hour this afternoon, | .017 |
| 24. | It rained and hailed violently for 18 minutes in the night, | .017 |
| 29. | It rained an hour and a half in the afternoon, | .066 |
| 30. | It rained hard in the night, | .504 |
| Total rain in February and March, | .664 | |
| APRIL. | ||
| 3. | It rained, or rather hailed, nine minutes, | —— |
| 5. | It rained an hour in the afternoon, | .067 |
| 8. | Small rain at intervals throughout the afternoon, | .002 |
| 10. | It rained an hour in the night, | .003 |
| 30. | It rained one hour and a quarter in the night, | .013 |
| Total rain in April, | .085 | |
| MAY. | ||
| 1. | From the 31st ult. to this day, at different times, | .330 |
| 3. | It rained hard in the night, | .355 |
| 6. | It has rained violently since three in the afternoon, wind S. E. variable, | .095 |
| 7. | It has rained heavily in the night, wind varying from N. to S. and S. W. | .368 |
| 8. | It rained small rain in the afternoon, | .042 |
| 11. | It has rained small rain this afternoon, wind N. W. | .002 |
| 14. | It has rained since yesterday at three all night, and till noon to-day, | .675 |
| 27. | From yesterday at two P. M. it rained to half past six, and heavily most part of the night, wind varying from N. to S. | .634 |
| Total rain in May, | 2.501 | |
| JUNE. | ||
| 1. | From yesterday at noon, in the night, and this day, wind W. S. W. | .212 |
| 3. | At night, south, | .002 |
| 5. | It rained in the night, S. W. | .223 |
| 6. | Ditto, | .006 |
| 9. | It rained in the night and afternoon, wind W. by S. | .725 |
| 10. | Ditto, | .463 |
| 11. | It rained in the night, | .343 |
| 13. | It rained from the 12th, at noon, to the 13th at ten, S. S. W. | 1.265 |
| 14. | It rained from three till seven, | .120 |
| 15. | It rained last night from sun-set till midnight, S. | .160 |
| N. B. The 16th at night, is the day the Egyptianssay the Nile ferments, and is troubled, by fallingof the nucta. | ||
| 18. | After three days fair, wind fresh, N. it began to rain yesterday, and rained three quarters of an hour, wind varying from north to west, | .490 |
| 19. | It rained with intervals from four to ten last night, wind north, varying by east to south, and south-west, where it fell calm, and rained violently, | .530 |
| 20. | It rained from a quarter before six, till ten at night, wind at north, fresh; changed to east, then to south, and there fell calm; violent thunder and lightning, | .635 |
| 21. | It began to rain yesterday at three, and rained till near five; wind changed from north to south, and fell calm; cleared with wind at north, | .550 |
| 22. | It began to rain at three, and rained till five; wind changed from north to east, then to south, and fell calm; cleared with wind at north; fair all night, | .149 |
| 25. | It has been fair till yesterday evening: at three itbegan raining, and rained till five this morning, a few drops; wind north, | .067 |
| 26. | It rained small rain at several times yesterday afternoon, and a few drops this morning, wind N. calm; at ten it came to south and then to west, | .120 |
| 27. | It rained yesterday afternoon from four to five; wind changed from north to west, but speedily returned to north, fresh, | .054 |
| 28. & 29. | It rained the 27th in the afternoon and in the night, wind at north. Yesterday it rained small rain all day till five, and cleared in the night, with wind at north, | .268 |
| Total rain in June, | 6.388 | |
| JULY. | ||
| 1. | There fell small showers the night of the 29th and of the 30th, | .093 |
| 3. | There fell a small shower the second in the afternoon, and last night hard, | .267 |
| 4. | It rained small rain at noon. From two, and all night, heavy and constant rain. It thundered from noon till three, | .373 |
| 5. | It rained all yesterday afternoon, and by intervals, till nine at night. Small rain this morning; calm; W. S. W. and S. W. | .423 |
| 6. | It rained yesterday afternoon and in the night; S. W. | .489 |
| N. B. The 6th of July is the first of the monthHamlie, and of the Egyptian month Abib. It isthis day they first begin to cry the Nile’s increasein the streets of Cairo. The night before, or 30thof Senne, is called at Cairo the Eide el Bishaara,or the eve of good news, because, after having measuredat the Mikeas, they come and tell at Cairothat to-morrow they begin to count the Nile’s rising. | ||
| 7. | It rained from two in the afternoon till four, and from ten till midnight, | .318 |
| 10. | It rained yesternight, and in the afternoon and night the day before, | .289 |
| 11. | It rained till yesterday afternoon: in the night a violent shower that lasted 39 minutes; wind south by west, | 1.162 |
| 12. | It rained a little from two to three in the afternoon, but in the night violently for a short time, | .319 |
| 13. | It rained yesterday from three quarters past twelve till midnight; W. S. W. calm, | .912 |
| 14. | It rained all yesterday afternoon till midnight, | .739 |
| 15. | It rained the 14th in the afternoon, and the 15th a few showers through the day, | .816 |
| 16. | It rained in the night, and small rain in the afternoon, | .290 |
| 17. | It rained in the afternoon two showers, and in the night a little; S. W. | .212 |
| 19. | It rained in the afternoon the 17th and 18th, and the 18th only in the night, | .912 |
| 20. | It rained yesterday from two till half past ten constant rain, and the hail lay all the afternoon on the hills S. E. of the town; very cold wind; S. by W. | 1.371 |
| 21. & 22. | It rained but one small shower the 20th, the 21st it rained little in the afternoon, but hard in the night, | 1.185 |
| 24. | It rained in the morning of yesterday only, fair in the afternoon; to-day, in the morning, fair in the night, | .766 |
| 25. | It rained all yesterday afternoon, and all this morning small rain, but none in the night, | .452 |
| 28. | From the 25th in the afternoon to this day at noon, | 2.137 |
| 29. | From the 28th at noon to the 29th it rained in the first part of the night, but was fair all afternoon and this morning, | .267 |
| From the 29th at noon, to the 31st at ditto, | .568 | |
| Total rain in July, | 14.360 | |
| AUGUST. | ||
| 1. | It rained yesterday afternoon, but in the night little. To day fair, | .544 |
| 4. | It rained only the third in the evening, and night and this morning, | 1.188 |
| 5. | It rained yesterday evening and in the night, till noon little, | .544 |
| 6. | It rained yesterday afternoon, and all night, and a little this morning, | .250 |
| 8. | It was fair these two days, and only rained one hard shower last night, | .178 |
| 9. | It rained last night only, was fair all day, and in this morning, | .214 |
| 10. | It rained yesterday all the afternoon, and the first of the night. To-day fair, | .869 |
| 11. | It rained in the night yesterday; all day and this morning fair, | .188 |
| 12. | It rained a small shower yesterday afternoon, and in the night a little, | .268 |
| 13. | It rained yesterday at three a hard shower, and a little in the night, | .308 |
| 14. | It rained a few drops in the day, and a hard shower at night, | .360 |
| 15. | It rained a hard shower near three, and at ten at night, | .386 |
| 16. | In the night, | .027 |
| 17. | It rained hard several times in the evening and night, | .831 |
| 18. | It rained hard yesterday afternoon, and in the night, | .329 |
| 19. | It rained all day, but not hard, | .491 |
| 20. | It rained in the afternoon only, | .010 |
| 21. | Ditto, | .097 |
| 22. | It was fair all yesterday, and rained only a hard shower at 9, | .424 |
| 23. | It rained hard at noon, and the evening, with littleintervals, till 9 at night, and again this morning at sun-rise till 7, | 1.148 |
| 24. | It did not rain yesterday, | —— |
| 25. | It rained an hour between two and three, | .332 |
| 26. | It rained a small shower yesterday, and none in the night, | .005 |
| 27. | It rained a hard shower at four, and this day at 12 morning, the night clear, | .268 |
| 28. | It rained hard yesterday at 2 for a few minutes, | .201 |
| 29. | It rained a hard shower for near an hour, after two, but clear all night and this morning, | .450 |
| 30. & 31. | It rained a small shower the 30th, and heavily for a quarter of an hour the 31st, at night, at ten, | .109 |
| Total rain in August, | 10.019 | |
| SEPTEMBER. | ||
| 2. | It rained yesterday a hard shower in the evening, and at ten at night, | .664 |
| 3. | It rained only a few drops, which did not appear in the funnel, | —— |
| 4. | It rained from noon till sun-set yesterday, with hard and violent thunder: night fair, | 1.739 |
| N. B. It is observed at Gondar, the Pagomen is always rainy. It begins this year the 4th, and consists of six days, being Leap Year. | ||
| 5. | It rained yesterday all afternoon, small rain, | .399 |
| 6. | It rained yesterday all afternoon, and small rain in the night till ten, | .306 |
| 7. | It rained from before noon till four, small rain; the night fair. Wind high at north, | .846 |
| 8. | It rained from noon for an hour, small rain, | .214 |
| 9. | It rained a small shower at noon; clouds drive from east to west; wind north, | .107 |
| 10. | Saint John’s day, no rain, | —— |
| 11. | It rained from noon till five o’clock, wind W. cold; clouds drive from east and west, | 1.135 |
| 12. | It rained a smart shower a little before noon. Clouds drive from east and from west, | .214 |
| 13. | It rained a small shower a little after noon. Cold and calm. Clouds drive from east and west, | .035 |
| 14. | It rained small rain from noon to three, and hard from eleven till near midnight, | .344 |
| 15. | It was fair all yesterday, but rained hard for a few minutes at seven, and also a little before midnight, from the east, | .186 |
| 16. | No rain to-day, | —— |
| 18. | It rained a small shower last night, and to-day at noon, | .053 |
| 19. | It rained and hailed violently in the afternoon, | 1.096 |
| Total rain in September, | 7.338 | |
The rain totally ceased the 19th, none having fallen from this day to the 25th.
Saint John’s day is the time observed for the rains beginning to abate.