a voyage to abyssinia-第17部分

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nconsiderable　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　delightful　rainbows；　which　the　sunbeams　painted　on　the　water　in　all　their　shining　and　lively　colours。　　The　fall　of　this　mighty　stream　from　so　great　a　height　makes　a　noise　that　may　be　heard　to　a　considerable　distance；　but　I　could　not　observe　that　the　neighbouring　inhabitants　were　at　all　deaf。　　I　conversed　with　several；　and　was　as　easily　heard　by　them　as　I　heard　them。　　The　mist　that　rises　from　this　fall　of　water　may　be　seen　much　farther　than　the　noise　can　be　heard。　　After　this　cataract　the　Nile　again　collects　its　scattered　stream　among　the　rocks；　which　seem　to　be　disjoined　in　this　place　only　to　afford　it　a　passage。　　They　are　so　near　each　other　that；　in　my　time；　a　bridge　of　beams；　on　which　the　whole　Imperial　army　passed；　was　laid　over　them。　Sultan　Segued　hath　since　built　here　a　bridge　of　one　arch　in　the　same　place；　for　which　purpose　he　procured　masons　from　India。　　This　bridge；　which　is　the　first　the　Abyssins　have　seen　on　the　Nile；　very　much　facilitates　a　communication　between　the　provinces；　and　encourages　commerce　among　the　inhabitants　of　his　empire。

Here　the　river　alters　its　course；　and　passes　through　many　various　kingdoms；　on　the　east　it　leaves　Begmeder；　or　the　Land　of　Sheep；　so　called　from　great　numbers　that　are　bred　there；　beg；　in　that　language；　signifying　sheep；　and　meder；　a　country。　　It　then　waters　the　kingdoms　of　Amhara；　Olaca；　Choaa；　and　Damot；　which　lie　on　the　left　side；　and　the　kingdom　of　Goiama；　which　it　bounds　on　the　right；　forming　by　its　windings　a　kind　of　peninsula。　　Then　entering　Bezamo；　a　province　of　the　kingdom　of　Damot；　and　Gamarchausa；　part　of　Goiama；　it　returns　within　a　short　day's　journey　of　its　spring；　though　to　pursue　it　through　all　its　mazes；　and　accompany　it　round　the　kingdom　of　Goiama；　is　a　journey　of　twenty…nine　days。　　So　far；　and　a　few　days'　journey　farther；　this　river　confines　itself　to　Abyssinia；　and　then　passes　into　the　bordering　countries　of　Fazulo　and　Ombarca。

These　vast　regions　we　have　little　knowledge　of：　　they　are　inhabited　by　nations　entirely　different　from　the　Abyssins；　their　hair　is　like　that　of　the　other　blacks；　short　and　curled。　　In　the　year　1615；　Rassela　Christos；　lieutenant…general　to　Sultan　Segued；　entered　those　kingdoms　with　his　army　in　a　hostile　manner；　but　being　able　to　get　no　intelligence　of　the　condition　of　the　people；　and　astonished　at　their　unbounded　extent；　he　returned；　without　daring　to　attempt　anything。

As　the　empire　of　the　Abyssins　terminates　at　these　deserts；　and　as　I　have　followed　the　course　of　the　Nile　no　farther；　I　here　leave　it　to　range　over　barbarous　kingdoms；　and　convey　wealth　and　plenty　into　Egypt；　which　owes　to　the　annual　inundations　of　this　river　its　envied　fertility。　　I　know　not　anything　of　the　rest　of　its　passage；　but　that　it　receives　great　increases　from　many　other　rivers；　that　it　has　several　cataracts　like　the　first　already　described；　and　that　few　fish　are　to　be　found　in　it；　which　scarcity；　doubtless；　is　to　be　attributed　to　the　river…horses　and　crocodiles；　which　destroy　the　weaker　inhabitants　of　these　waters；　and　something　may　be　allowed　to　the　cataracts；　it　being　difficult　for　fish　to　fall　so　far　without　being　killed。

Although　some　who　have　travelled　in　Asia　and　Africa　have　given　the　world　their　descriptions　of　crocodiles　and　hippopotamus；　or　river…　horse；　yet　as　the　Nile　has　at　least　as　great　numbers　of　each　as　any　river　in　the　world；　I　cannot　but　think　my　account　of　it　would　be　imperfect　without　some　particular　mention　of　these　animals。

The　crocodile　is　very　ugly；　having　no　proportion　between　his　length　and　thickness；　he　hath　short　feet；　a　wide　mouth；　with　two　rows　of　sharp　teeth；　standing　wide　from　each　other；　a　brown　skin　so　fortified　with　scales；　even　to　his　nose；　that　a　musket…ball　cannot　penetrate　it。　　His　sight　is　extremely　quick；　and　at　a　great　distance。　　In　the　water　he　is　daring　and　fierce；　and　will　seize　on　any　that　are　so　unfortunate　as　to　be　found　by　him　bathing；　who；　if　they　escape　with　life；　are　almost　sure　to　leave　some　limb　in　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