ingly; but he mentions also that the north and north-east winds blow in that part of Abyssinia for at least five months; and previous to the commencement of the rainy season, it appears that no rain had fallen at Gondar "for several months before."

Yet he adds, that as far to the northward as the fifth degree of north latitude, is a country “of almost perpetual rain."

It is evident, from the quotations which have been made, that the author of this part of these books resided on the southern side of some range of mountains; and on consulting the map, it will be seen that the country, about the ninth degree of latitude and thirty-sixth of longitude is so situated. Hail and frost might seem to be improbable so near the tropic, but Ludolph, although he says that snow is very rare in Abyssinia, says also that small hail is extremely frequent in the mountains: and this description must have applied to the country near Gondar, from whence it seems that Gregory, Ludolph's authority, came.

It is however to be remembered, that the mountains of Geez, in the south of Abyssinia, rise above the limit of perpetual snow, and that the whole country is extremely mountainous.

Ludolph says, page 28. "All Abyssinia is egre"giously mountainous. So soon as you have tra"velled two days journey from the Red Sea, you "must presently climb the mountains of Tigra, 66 among which Lamalmona lifts her head more lofty "than the rest.-But not only this region is a "plain that seems as it were planted with moun

tains, for all the provinces, Dembea excepted, "are but one continued chain of mountains. "Among the rest the vast and high mountains of "Amhara and Samen are as it were the emboss"ment of Abyssinia. Here are many Aorni, or "rocks of an incredible height and ruggedness, "insomuch that, as Tellezius writes, they strike a

terror unto the beholders: the Alps and Pyreneans, though very high, are but trifles to them."

To this cause Bruce ascribes the variable winds in Abyssinia, since were it not for the mountainous ranges, the combined effects of which produce winds in every direction, the country would be subject to winds nearly coincident with the regular monsoons. Thus it will be seen that the qualities ascribed to the various winds in this book may very probably be referred to the geographical position

which has been already mentioned. A great preponderance of rain must be expected there; because it contains the White River, the source to which Bruce especially refers the overflowing of the Nile; while a climate variable between considerable cold and extreme heat, according to the elevation, must also result from the inequality of the surface. Whatever weight these observations may carry with them, it may be added, that a country of variable winds, to the S. W. of the Persian Gulph, does not, as I imagine, exist; nor any other situation under the necessary parallels of latitude, in which we can suppose snow and occasional cold to be known to the natives. It may be inferred indeed that a very different temperature to that which we ourselves regard as cold, would be considered as such, by persons accustomed to the occasional occurrence of extreme heat, and to a climate in general more temperate than our's; and therefore we may regard these expressions as comparative, and rather as indicating the inconvenience felt by a native, than as marking any precise thermometrical degree of cold.

With regard to the hot wind which is here said

to blow from the south-east, and to the "scorching "and perdition" ascribed to the south-west quarter, we must remember that Abyssinia, like Arabia, is occasionally subject to that terrible Scourge the Simoom. Mr, Bruce mentions that in his journey over the mountains of Chigre or Tigra, he himself experienced the evil effects of it. 'Idris, our

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guide, called out, fall upon your faces! for here "is the Simoom! I saw from the south-east a “haze come in colour like the purple part of a "rainbow, but not so thick. It did not occupy

twenty yards in breadth, and was about twelve "feet from the ground. We all lay flat upon the

ground as if dead, till Idris told us it was blown 66 over. The meteor or purple haze which I had "seen was indeed passed, but the light air that "still blew was of heat to threaten suffocation. "For my part I found distinctly in my breast that “I had imbibed a part of it, nor was I free of an "asthmatic affection till near two years afterward."

Thus the hot wind ascribed to the south-east as well as the destruction from the south-west may be accounted for, if we refer the description to the

climate of Abyssinia. Nor is the fact that this effect is not attributed to the south wind, unimportant. The high range of the mountains, to the southward, running nearly east and west, it will be seen that the hot winds could only occur, when driven from the deserts to the westward, or from the country to the S. E. without passing over the mountains, and thus becoming cooled by its contact with their snowy elevations.

If then we can only refer the expression of a wind which carries with it "heat and perdition" to the Samiel or Simoom, and if as I believe, this wind is confined to the deserts of Africa and Arabia and to the intermediate country, it seems that the conjunction of this occurrence, with that of snow under the same climate, can only be accounted for by the presence of such mountains, as we know are to be found in Abyssinia.

But this author (Translation page 28,) gives also a general description of the course of the rivers, which seems to agree very remarkably with the map of Abyssinia, published by Mr. Bruce.*

* Travels, vol. 5.