TRAVELS
TO DISCOVER
THE SOURCE OF THE NILE.
BOOK VII.
RETURN FROM THE SOURCE OF THE NILE TO GONDAR—TRANSACTIONS THERE—BATTLE OF SERBRAXOS, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES—THE AUTHOR PREPARES TO LEAVE ABYSSINIA.
CHAP. I
Return from the Source of the Nile by Maitsha—Come to the House of Welled Amlac—Reception there—Pass the Nile at Delakus—Arrive at Gondar.
It was on the 10th of November 1770 we left Geesh in our return to Gondar, and passed the Abay, as before, under the church of Saint Michael Sacala. We descended the hill through the wood, crossed the river Davola, and that night halted at a few huts, called Dembea, on the north-east side of the entrance of a valley.
On the 11th we continued our journey in our former road, till we arrived at the church of Abbo; we then turned to the right, our course N. by E. and at three quarters past nine rested under the mountain on the right of the valley; our road lay still through Goutto, but the country here is neither so well inhabited nor so pleasant as the west side of the Nile. At eleven, going N. N. E. we passed the church of Tzion, about an eight part of a mile distant to E. N. E.; we here have a distinct view of the valley thro' which runs the Jemma, deep, wide, and full of trees, which continue up the sides of the mountains Amid Amid. At a quarter past eleven we passed a small stream coming from the west, and at twelve another very dangerous river called Utchmi, the ford of which is in the midst of two cataracts, and the stream very rapid; after passing this river, we entered a narrow road in the midst of brush-wood, pleasant and agreeable, and full of a kind of foxes[1] of a bright gold colour. At three quarters past one we halted at the house of Shalaka Welled Amlac, with whom I was well acquainted at Gondar; his house is called Welled Abea Abbo, from a church of Abbo about an eight part of a mile distant.
I have deferred, till the present occasion, the introducing of this remarkable character to my reader, that I might not trouble him to go back to past transactions that are not of consequence enough to interrupt the thread of my narrative. Soon after I had seen part of the royal family, that had been infected with the small-pox, happily recovered, and was settled at Koscam in a house of my own, formerly belonging to Basha Eusebius, my friend Ayto Aylo recommended to my care a man from Maitsha, with two servants, one of whom, with his master, had been taken ill of the intermitting fever. As I was supplied plentifully with every necessary by the Iteghé, the only inconvenience that I suffered by this was, that of bringing a stranger and a disease into my family. But as I was in a strange country, and every day stood in need of the assistance of the people in it, it was necessary that I should do my part, and make myself as useful as possible when the opportunity came in my way. I therefore submitted, and according to Ayto Aylo's desire, received my two patients with the best grace possible; and the rather, as I was told that he was one of the most powerful, resolute, and best-attended robbers in all Maitsha; that he lay directly in my way to the source of the Nile; and that, under his protection, I might bid defiance to Woodage Asahel, considered as the great obstacle to my making that journey.