Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 4 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
At a quarter past four we came to the river Toom Aredo, which arising
in the country of the Kemmont, (a people inhabiting the high grounds
above to the S. W.) falls into the river Mahaanah. The Kemmont were
a sect once the same as the Falasha, but were baptized in the reign
of Facilidas, and, ever since, have continued separate from their
ancient brethren. No great pains seem to have been taken with them
since their admission to Christianity, for they retain most of their
ancient customs. They eat the meat of cattle killed by Christians, but
not of those that are slaughtered, either by Mahometans or Falasha.
They hold, as a doctrine, that, being once baptized, and having
once communicated, no sort of prayer, nor other attention to divine
worship, is further necessary. They wash themselves from head to foot
after coming from the market, or any public place, where they may have
touched any one of a sect different from their own, esteeming all such
unclean. They abstain from all sorts of work on Saturday, keeping
close at home; but they grind corn, and do many other such like works,
upon Sunday.
Their women pierce their ears, and apply weights to make them hang
down, and to enlarge the holes, into which they put ear-rings almost
as big as shackles, in the same manner as do the Bedowis in Syria and
Palestine. Their language is the same as that of the Falasha, with
some small difference of idiom. They have great abhorrence to fish,
which they not only refrain from eating, but cannot bear the sight of;
and the reason they give for this is, that Jonah the prophet (from
whom they boast they are descended) was swallowed by a whale, or some
other such great fish. They are hewers of wood, and carriers of water,
to Gondar, and are held in great detestation by the Abyssinians.
We crossed the river to the miserable village of Door-Macary, which
is on the east side of it; and there we took up our quarters, after a
short but very fatiguing, day's journey. The people shewed great signs
of uneasiness upon our first appearance, and much reluctance to admit
us under their roofs; and discovering that we were not any of those
that had the honour of being descended from the prophet Jonah, they
hid all their pots and drinking-vessels, lest they should be prophaned
by our using them. From Door-Macary we discovered a high mountainous
ridge, with a very rugged top, stretching from North to South, and
towering up in the middle of the forest, about five miles distance; it
is called Badjena.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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