a voyage to abyssinia-第8部分

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pass。　　Our　apprehensions　were　very　much　increased　by　our　suspicion　of　the　camel…drivers；　who；　as　we　imagined；　had　advertised　the　Galles　of　our　arrival。　　The　fatigue　we　had　already　suffered　did　not　prevent　our　continuing　our　march　all　night：　　at　last　we　entered　a　plain；　where　our　drivers　told　us　we　might　expect　to　be　attacked　by　the　Galles；　nor　was　it　long　before　our　own　eyes　convinced　us　that　we　were　in　great　danger；　for　we　saw　as　we　went　along　the　dead　bodies　of　a　caravan　who　had　been　lately　massacred；　a　sight　which　froze　our　blood；　and　filled　us　with　pity　and　with　horror。　　The　same　fate　was　not　far　from　overtaking　us；　for　a　troop　of　Galles；　who　were　detached　in　search　of　us；　missed　us　but　an　hour　or　two。　　We　spent　the　next　night　in　the　mountains；　but　when　we　should　have　set　out　in　the　morning；　were　obliged　to　a　fierce　dispute　with　the　old　Moor；　who　had　not　yet　lost　his　inclination　to　destroy　us；　he　would　have　had　us　taken　a　road　which　was　full　of　those　people　we　were　so　much　afraid　of：　　at　length　finding　he　could　not　prevail　with　us；　that　we　charged　the　goods　upon　him　as　belonging　to　the　Emperor；　to　whom　he　should　be　answerable　for　the　loss　of　them；　he　consented；　in　a　sullen　way；　to　go　with　us。

The　desire　of　getting　out　of　the　reach　of　the　Galles　made　us　press　forward　with　great　expedition；　and；　indeed；　fear　having　entirely　engrossed　our　minds；　we　were　perhaps　less　sensible　of　all　our　labours　and　difficulties；　so　violent　an　apprehension　of　one　danger　made　us　look　on　many　others　with　unconcern；　our　pains　at　last　found　some　intermission　at　the　foot　of　the　mountains　of　Duan；　the　frontier　of　Abyssinia；　which　separates　it　from　the　country　of　the　Moors；　through　which　we　had　travelled。

Here　we　imagined　we　might　repose　securely；　a　felicity　we　had　long　been　strangers　to。　　Here　we　began　to　rejoice　at　the　conclusion　of　our　labours；　the　place　was　cool　and　pleasant；　the　water　was　excellent；　and　the　birds　melodious。　　Some　of　our　company　went　into　the　wood　to　divert　themselves　with　hearing　the　birds　and　frightening　the　monkeys；　creatures　so　cunning　that　they　would　not　stir　if　a　man　came　unarmed；　but　would　run　immediately　when　they　saw　a　gun。　　At　this　place　our　camel　drivers　left　us；　to　go　to　the　feast　of　St。　Michael；　which　the　Aethiopians　celebrate　the　16th　of　June。　　We　persuaded　them；　however；　to　leave　us　their　camels　and　four　of　their　company　to　take　care　of　them。

We　had　not　waited　many　days　before　some　messengers　came　to　us　with　an　account　that　Father　Baradas；　with　the　Emperor's　nephew；　and　many　other　persons　of　distinction；　waited　for　us　at　some　distance；　we　loaded　our　camels；　and　following　the　course　of　the　river；　came　in　seven　hours　to　the　place　we　were　directed　to　halt　at。　　Father　Manuel　Baradas　and　all　the　company；　who　had　waited　for　us　a　considerable　time　on　the　top　of　the　mountain；　came　down　when　they　saw　our　tents；　and　congratulated　our　arrival。　　It　is　not　easy　to　express　the　benevolence　and　tenderness　with　which　they　embraced　us；　and　the　concern　they　showed　at　seeing　us　worn　away　with　hunger；　labour；　and　weariness；　our　clothes　tattered；　and　our　feet　bloody。

We　left　this　place　of　interview　the　next　day；　and　on　the　21st　of　June　arrived　at　Fremone；　the　residence　of　the　missionaries；　where　we　were　welcomed　by　great　numbers　of　Catholics；　both　Portuguese　and　Abyssins；　who　spared　no　endeavours　to　make　us　forget　all　we　had　suffered　in　so　hazardous　a　journey；　undertaken　with　no　other　intention　than　to　conduct　them　in　the　way　of　salvation。




PART　II　…　A　DESCRIPTION　OF　ABYSSINIA




Chapter　I



The　history　of　Abyssinia。　　An　account　of　the　Queen　of　Sheba；　and　of　Queen　Candace。　　The　conversion　of　the　Abyssins。


The　original　of　the　Abyssins；　like　that　of　all　other　nations；　is　obscure　and　uncertain。　　The　tradition　generally　received　derives　them　from　Cham；　the　son　of　Noah；　and　they　pretend；　however　improbably；　that　from　his　time　till　now　the　legal　succession　of　their　kings　hath　never　been　interrupted；　and　that　the　supreme　power　hath　always　continued　in　the　same　family。　　An　authentic　genealogy　traced　up　so　high　could　not　but　be　extremely　curious；　and　with　good　reason　might　the　Emperors　of　Abyssinia　boast　themselves　the　most　illustrious　and　ancient　family　in　the　world。　　But　there　are　no　real　grounds　for　imagining　that　Providence　has　vouchsafed　them　so　distinguishing　a　protection；　and　from　the　wars　with　which　this　empire　hath　been　shaken　in　these　latter　ages　we　may　justly　believe　that；　like　all　others；　it　has　suffered　its　revolutions；　and　that　the　history　of　the　Abyssins　is　corrupted　with　fables。　　This　empire　is　known　by　the　name　of　the　kingdom　of　Prester…John。　　For　the　Portuguese　having　heard　such　wonderful　relations　of　an　ancient　and　famous　Christian　state　called　by　that　name；　in　the　Indies；　imagined　it　could　be　none　but　this　of　Aethiopia。　　Many　things　concurred　to　make　them　of　this　opinion：　　there　was　no　Christian　kingdom　or　state　in　the　Indies　of　which　all　was　true　which　they　heard　of　this　land　of　Prester…John：　　and　there　was　none　in　the　other　parts　of　the　world　who　was　a　Christian　separated　from　the　Catholic　Church　but　what　was　known；　except　this　kingdom　of　Aethiopia。　　It　has　therefore　passed　for　the　kingdom　of　Prester…John　since　the　time　that　it　was　discovered　by　the　Portuguese　in　the　reign　of　King　John　the　Second。

The　country　is　properly　called　Abyssinia；　and　the　people　term　themselves　Abyssins。　　Their　histories　count　a　hundred　and　sixty…two　reigns；　from　Cham　to　Faciladas　or　Basilides；　among　which　some　women　are　remarkably　celebrated。　　One　of　the　most　renowned　is　the　Queen　of　Sheba；　mentioned　in　Scripture；　whom　the　natives　call　Nicaula　or　Macheda；　and　in　their　translation　of　the　gospel；　Nagista　Azeb；　which　in　their　language　is　Queen　of　the　South。　　They　still　show　the　ruins　of　a　city　which　appears　to　have　been　once　of　note；　as　the　place　where　she　kept　her　court；　and　a　village　which；　from　its　being　the　place　of　her　birth；　they　call　the　land　of　Saba。　　The　Kings　of　Aethiopia　draw　their　boasted　pedigree　from　Minilech；　the　son　of　this　Queen　and　Solomon。　　The　other　Queen　for　whom　they　retain　a　great　veneration　is　Candace；　whom　they　call　Judith；　and　indeed　if　what　they　relate　of　her　could　be　proved；　there　never　was；　amongst　the　most　illustrious　and　beneficent　sovereigns；　any　to　whom　their　country　was　more　indebted；　for　it　is　said　that　she　being　converted　by　Inda　her　eunuch；　whom　St。　Philip　baptised；　prevailed　with　her　subjects　to　quit　the　worship　of　idols；　and　profess　the　faith　of　Jesus　Christ。　　This　opinion　appears　to　me　without　any　better　foundation　than　another　of　the　conversion　of　the　Abyssins　to　the　Jewish　rites　by　the　Queen　of　Sheba；　at　her　return　from　the　court　of　Solomon。　　They；　however；　who　patronise　these　traditions　give　us　very　specious　accounts　of　the　zeal　and　piety　of　the　Abyssins　at　their　first　conversion。　　Many；　they　say；　abandoned　all　the　pleasures　and　vanities　of　life　for　solitude　and　religious　austerities；　others　devoted　themselves　to　God　in　an　ecclesiastical　life；　they　who　could　not　do　these　set　apart　their　revenues　for　building　churches；　endowing　chapels；　and　founding　monasteries；　and　spent　their　wealth　in　costly　ornaments　for　the　churches　and　vessels　for　the　altars。　　It　is　true　that　this　people　has　a　natural　disposition　to　goodness；　they　are　very　liberal　of　their　alms；　they　much　frequent　their　churches；　and　are　very　studious　to　adorn　them；　they　practise　fasting　and　other　mortifications；　and　notwithstanding　their　separation　from　the　Roman　Church；　and　the　corruptions　which　have　crept　into　their　faith；　yet　retain　in　a　great　measure　the　devout　fervour　of　the　primitive　Christians。　　There　never　were　greater　hopes　of　uniting　this　people　to　the　Church　of　Rome；　which　their　adherence　to　the　Eutichian　heresy　has　made　very　difficult；　than　in　the　time　of　Sultan　Segued；　who　called　us　into　his　dominions　in　the　year　1625；　from　whence　we　were　expelled　in　1634。　　As　I　have　lived　a　long　time　in　this　country；　and　borne　a　share　in　all　that　has　passed；　I　will　present　the　reader　with　a　short　account　of　what　I　have　observed；　and　of　the　revolution　which　forced　us　to　abandon　Aethiopia；　and　destroyed　all　our　hopes　of　reuniting　this　kingdom　with　the　Roman　Church。

The　empire　of　Abyssinia　hath　been　one　of　the　largest　which　history　gives　us　an　account　of：　　it　extended　formerly　from　the　Red　Sea　to　the　kingdom　of　Congo；　and　from　Egypt　to　the　Indian　Sea。　　It　is　not　long　since　it　contained　forty　provinces；　but　is　now　not　much　bigger　than　all　Spain；　and　consists　but　of　five　kingdoms　and　six　provinces；　of　which　part　is　entirely　subject　to　the　Emperor；　and　part　only　pays　him　some　tribute；　or　acknowledgment　of　dependence；　either　voluntarily　or　by　compulsion。　　Some　of　these　are　of　very　large　extent：　　the　kingdoms　of　Tigre；　Bagameder；　and　Goiama　are　as　big　as　Portugal；　or　bigger；　Amhara　and　Damote　are　something　less。　　The　provinces　are　inhabited　by　Moors；　Pagans；　Jews；　and　Christians：　　the　last　is　the　reigning　and　established　religion。　　This　diversity　of　people　and　religion　is　the　reason　that　the　kingdom　in　different　parts　is　under　different　forms　of　government；　and　that　their　laws　and　customs　are　extremely　various。

The　inhabitants　of　the　kingdom　of　Amhara　are　the　most　civilised　and　polite；　and　next　to　them　the　natives　of　Tigre；　or　the　true　Abyssins。　The　rest；　except　the　Damotes；　the　Gasates；　and　the　Agaus；　which　approach　somewhat　nearer　to　civility；　are　entirely　rude　and　barbarous。　　Among　these　nations　the　Galles；　who　first　alarmed　the　world　in　1542；　have　remarkably　distinguished　themselves　by　the　ravages　they　have　committed；　and　the　terror　they　have　raised　in　this　part　of　Africa。　　They　neither　sow　their　lands　nor　improve　them　by　any　kind　of　culture；　but；　living　upon　milk　and　flesh；　encamp　like　the　Arabs　without　any　settled　habitation。　　They　practise　no　rites　of　worship；　though　they　believe　that　in　the　regions　above　there　dwells　a　Being　that　governs　the　world：　　whether　by　this　Being　they　mean　the　sun　or　the　sky　is　not　known；　or；　indeed；　whether　they　have　not　some　conception　of　the　God　that　created　them。　　This　deity　they　call　in　their　language　Oul。　　In　other　matters　they　are　yet　more　ignorant；　and　have　some　customs　so　contrary　even　to　the　laws　of　nature；　as　might　almost　afford　reason　to　doubt　whether　they　are　endued　with　reason。　　The　Christi