THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 737
cry, being circulated in the form of wedges, or bricks ; it ferves the purpofe of filver coin, and is the change of gold ; fo that this herb is of the utmoft ufe in preventing the increafe in price of this neceflary article, which is the principal food of all ranks of people in this country. Brides paint their feet likewife from the ancle downwards, a* alfo their nails and palms of their hands, with this drug. I brought with me into Europe a large quantity of the feed refembling that of coriander, and difperfed it plen- tifully through all the royal gardens : whether it has fuc- ceeded or not I cannot fay.
Besides the market of Gondar, the neighbouring black favages, the woolly-headed Shangalla, purchafe the greateft part of thefe commodities from them, and many others, which they bring from the capital when they return thence; they receive in exchange elephants teeth, rhinoceros horns, gold in fmall pellets, and a quantity of very fine cotton ; of which goods they might receive a much greater quantity were they content to cultivate trade in a fair way, with- out making inroads upon thefe favages for the fake of flaves, and thereby diflurbing them in their occupations of feeking for gold and hunting the elephant.
The way this trade, though very much limited, is efta- blifhed, is by two nations fending their children mutually to each other ; there is then peace between thofe two families which have fuch hoftages ; thefe children often intermar- ry ; after which that family is underftood to be protected, and at peace, perhaps, for a generation : but fuch inftances are rare, the natural propenfity of both nations being to theft
Vol. III. 5 A and
