Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/39

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 23


in the midst of their harvest, but there were some places, to which the water could be conducted, where the corn was just appearing out of the ground. From Googue we have an extensive view of the lake Tzana, whilst the mountains of Begemder and Karoota, that is, all the ridge along Fog- gora, appear distinctly enough, but they are sunk low, and near the horizon.

On the 14th, at three quarters past seven in the morning, we left the inhospitable village Googue; our road lay N. by W. up a small hill. At half past eight we crossed the village of Azzadari, in which runs a small river, then almost stagnant, of the same name. At three quarters after eight, the church of Turcon Abbo, being a quarter of a mile to our right. At three quarters after nine we passed the river Avolai, coming from N. W. and which, with all the other streams above mentioned, fall into the lake: from this begins Degwassa. At half past ten we rested half an hour. At eleven continued our journey N. by W. and, at half after eleven, entered again into the great road of Buré, by Kelti. All the country from Googue is bare, unpleasant, unwholesome, and ill watered. Those few streams it has are now standing in pools, and are probably stagnant in January and February. The people, too, are more miserable than in any other part of Maitsha and Goutto.

As we are now leaving Maitsha, it will be the place to say something concerning it in particular. Maitsha is either proper, or what is called so by extension, Maitsha Proper is bounded on the west by the Nile, on the south by the river Jemma, dividing it from Goutto; and, on the other side of Amid Amid, by the province of Damot; on the south

by