The Negoos himself corroborated the statement of Ibrahim, who had visited the shores of this lake several times, that there was no outlet for its waters, but that it was entirely distinct from the river Hawash. Karissa, a Galla, from Cambat, who when enslaved was first taken to Gurague, and lived near Zui several years, also told me that a number of small streams fell into the lake from all sides and that there was a tradition that a long time ago, the length of which he had no idea of, all the country now occupied by the lake which is about fifteen miles in diameter, was possessed by seven chiefs, whose lands, for their sins, of course, or it would not be an Abyssinian legend, were swallowed up in one night, with loud subterranean noises, and stars shooting out of the earth, and that the next day nothing could be seen but the present lakes, and the islands it contains. Considering the character of the country, and the phenomena still witnessed in Adal, whilst the country around Zui appears to be situated upon the same elevation above the sea; I have no doubt that this tradition is partly founded upon fact, and contains the national remembrance of an extensive and appalling incident connected with some volcanic convulsion, that at a former period occurred in this situation. My morning’s lesson in geography terminated with a promise that Ibrahim should get me the title of a Geez book upon the subject, which he asserted he had seen in Hurrah, for I must observe he ridiculed the idea of anything having been preserved during the invasion of Grahnè into Abyssinia, by being taken to the monastery of Zui. He stated that in the city of Hurrah, which was then the capital of the kingdom of Adal, there was at the present day an entire library which had formed part of the spoil of the conqueror on that occasion, and that in the same building with the books is preserved the original silver kettle drums that were formerly carried before the Emperor. He had also seen a map which had been made by the orders of Mahomed Grahnè, of the countries he had subdued from Massoah and Gondah in the north, to Magadish in the south, and upon which was particularly marked the site of every Christian temple he had destroyed. A copy of this map could, I think, be easily obtained by means of our Berberah acquaintance, Shurmalkee, whose connexion with the city of Hurrah is much more considerable than it is supposed to be by our Government.