Mr. Bruce lays down this as a positive rule of health, that the warmest dishes the natives delight in, are the most wholefome strangers can use in the putrid climates of the Lower Arabia, Abyffinia, Sennaar, and Egypt itself; and that fpirits, and all fermented liquors, fhould be regarded as poifons; and, for fear of temptation, not so much as be carried along with you, unless as a menftrum for outward applications. Spring, or running water, if you can find it, is to be your only drink. You cannot be too nice in procuring this article. But as, on both coafts of the Red Sea, you scarcely find any but ftagnant water, the way our traveler practised was always this: when he was at any place that allowed him time and opportunity, he took a quantity of fine fand, washed it from the falt quality with which it was impregnated, and spread it upon a fheet to dry; he then filled an oil-jar with water, and poured into it as much from a boiling kettle as would ferve to kill all the animalcula and eggs that were in it. He then fifted his dried fand, as flowly as poffible, upon the furface of the water in the jar, till the sand stood half a foot in the bottom of it; after letting it fettle a night, he drew it off by a hole in the jar with a fpigot in it, about an inch above the fand; then threw the remaining fand out upon the cloth, and dried and washed it again.

This procefs is fooner performed than defcribed. The water is as limpid as the purest spring, and little inferior to the finest Spa. Drink largely of this without fear, according as your appetite requires. By violent perfpiration the aqueous part of your blood is thrown off; and it is not fpiritous liquor can restore this, whatever momentary strength it may give you from another caufe. When hot, and almost fainting with weakness from continual perspiration, Mr. Bruce has gone into a warm bath, and been immediately restored to strength, as upon first rising in the morning.

In Nubia, never fcruple to throw yourself into the coldest river or fpring you can find, in whatever degree of heat you are. The reason of the difference in Europe is, that when by violence you have raised yourself to an extraordinary degree of heat, the cold water in which you plunge yourself

checks

checks your perspiration, and shuts your pores fuddenly. The medium is itfelf too cold, and you do not ufe force fufficient to bring back the perfpiration, which nought but action occafioned; whereas, in these warm countries, your perfpiration is natural and conftant, though no action be ufed, only from the temperature of the medium; therefore, though your pores are fhut, the moment you plunge your felf in the cold water, the fimple condition of the outward air again covers you with pearls of fweat the moment you emerge; and you begin the expenfe of the aqueous part of your blood afresh from the new stock that you have laid in by your emersion.

Rice and pillaw are the best food; fowls are very bad, eggs are worfe; greens are not wholefome. In Arabia the mutton is good, and, when roasted, may be eaten warm with fafety; perhaps better if cold. All foups or broths are to be avoided; all game is bad.

It is a custom that, from the first ages, has prevailed in the east, to fhriek and lament upon the death of a friend, or relation, and cut their faces upon the temple with their nails, about the breadth of a fixpence, one of which is left long for that purpose. It was always practised by the Jews, and thence adopted by the Abyffinians, though expressly forbidden both by the law and the prophets. At Mafuah, it feems to be particular to dance upon that occasion. The women, friends, and visitors, place themselves in a ring; then dance flowly, figuring in and out as in a country dance. This dance is all to the voice, no inftrument being used upon the occafion; only the drum (the butter jar before mentioned) is beat adroitly enough, and feems at once neceffary to keep the dance and fong in order. In Abyffinia, too, this is pursued in a manner more ridiculous. Upon the death of an ozoro, or any nobleman, the twelve judges, (who are generally between 60 and 70 years of age) fing the fong, and dance the figure-dance, in a manner fo truly ridiculous, that grief must have taken faft hold of every fpectator who does not laugh upon the occafion.

In Mafuah, it is a general custom for people to burn myrrh and incenfe in their houfes before they open the doors in the morning; and when they go out at night, or early in the day, they have always a small piece of rag highly fumigated with these two perfumes, which they ftuff into each noftri to keep them from the unwholesome air.

Their houses are, in general, built of poles and bent grafs, as in the towns of Arabia; but, befides thefe, there are about twenty of ftone, fix or eight of which are two ftoreys each; though the fecond feldom confifls of more than one room, and that one generally not a large one.

Situated as Mafuah is, in the very entrance of Abyffinia, a very plentiful country, yet all the neceffaries of life are fcarce and dear. Their quality, too, is very indifferent. This is owing to the difficulty, expenfe, and danger of carrying the feveral articles through the defert flat country, called Samhar, which lies between Arkeeko and the mountains of Abyffinia; as well as to the extortions exercifed by the Naybe, who takes, under the name of cuftoms, whatever part he pleases of the goods and provifions brought to that ifland; by which means the profit of the feller is so small, as not to be worth the pains and risk of bringing it.

A confiderable trade is carried on at Mafuah, notwith standing these inconveniences, narrow and confined as the ifland is, and violent and unjust as is the government. But it is all done in a flovenly manner, and for articles where a fmall capital is invefted. Property here is too precarious to risk a venture in valuable commodities, where the hand of power enters into every transaction.

On the 13th, at four o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Bruce waited upon the Naybe at his own houfe. He received him with more civility than usual; or rather, with lefs brutality; for a grain of any thing like civility had never yet appeared in his behaviour. He had juft received news, that a fervant of his, fent to collect money at Hamazen, had run off with it. As our traveller faw he was bufy, he took his leave of him, only asking his commands for Habesh; to which he answered,

"We

"We have time enough to think of that; do you come here to-morrow."

On the 14th, in the morning, he waited upon him according to appointment, having first struck his tent and got all his baggage in readiness. He received him as before, then told him with a grave air, " That he was willing to further his journey into Habesh to the utmost of his power, provided he fhewed him that confideration which was due to him from all paffengers; that, as by his tent, baggage, and arms, he faw he was a man above the common fort, which the Grand Signior's firman, and all his letters teftified, less than 1000 pataka's offered by him would be putting a great affront upon him; however, in confideration of the governor of Tigre, to whom he was going, he would confent to receive 300, upon his fwearing not to divulge this, for fear of the fhame that would fall upon him abroad."

To this Mr. Bruce anfwered in the fame grave tone, "That he thought him very wrong to take 300 patakas with fhame, when receiving a thousand would be more honourable as well as more profitable; therefore, he had nothing to do but put that into his account-book with the governor of Tigre, and fettle his honour and his interest together. As for himself, he was fent for by Metical Aga, on account of the king, and was proceeding accordingly; and if he oppofed his going forward to Metical Aga, he fhould return; but then again he should expect ten thousand patakas from Metical Aga for the trouble and lofs of time he had been at, which he and the Ras would no doubt fettle with him." The Naybe faid nothing in reply, but only muttered, clofing his teeth, sheitan afrit, that devil or tormenting spirit.

Thofe friends which Mr. Bruce had made at Mafuah, feeing the Naybe's obftinacy against their departure, and knowing the cruelty of his nature, advifed Mr. Bruce to abandon all thoughts of Abyffinia; for that in paffing through Samhar, among the many barbarous people whom he commanded, difficulties would multiply upon them daily, and, either by accident, or order of the Naybe, they would be furely cut

off,

.

off. However, our traveller was too well convinced of the embarraffment that lay behind him, if left alone with the Naybe, and too determined upon his journey, to hesitate` upon going forward. He even flattered himself, that his ftock of ftratagems to prevent their going, was by this time exhausted, and that the morrow would see them in the open fields, free from further tyranny and controul,

On the 15th early in the morning, Mr. Bruce again ftruck his tent, and had his baggage prepared, to fhew they were determined to ftay no longer. At eight o'clock he went to the Naybe, and found him almost alone, when he received him in a manner that, for him, might have paffed for civil. He began with a confiderable degree of eloquence, or fluency of speech, a long enumeration of the difficulties of their journey, the rivers, precipices, mountains and woods they were to pafs, the number of wild beasts every where to be found; as alfo the wild favage people that inhabited thofe places; the moft of which, he said, were luckily under his command, and he would recommend to them to do them all manner of good offices. Hecommanded two of his fecretaries to write the proper letters, and then ordered them coffee.

In the mean time, came in a fervant covered with dust, and feemingly fatigued, as having arrived in hafte from afar. The Naybe, with a confiderable deal of uneafinefs and confufion, opened the letters, which were said to bring intelligence, that the Hazorta, Shiho, and Tora, the three nations who poffeffed that part of Samhar, through which our road led to Dobarwa, the common paffage from Mafuah to Tigre, had revolted, driven away his fervants, and declared themselves independent. He then (as if all was over) ordered his fecretaries to stop writing; and lifting up his eyes, began with great seeming devotion to thank god we were not already on our journey, for, innocent as he was, when our travellers fhould have been cut off, the fault would have been imputed to him. Angry as Mr. Bruce was at fo barefaced a farce, he could not help bursting out into a violent fit of loud laughter; when the Naybe put on the feverest countenance, and defired to know the reafon of his laughing at fuch a time. "It is now two months, (anfwered Mr. Bruce) fince you have been