A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Observations 2 · Section 18
Of the Ways and Roads between Egypt and Ethiopia.
IN the month of October an Ambaſſador of Ethiopia came to Caire, with ſeveral Preſents for the Grand Signior, and among others an Aſs that had a moſt delicate Skin, if it was natural, for I will not vouch for that, ſince I did not examine it. This Aſs had a black Liſt down the Back, and the reſt of its Body was all begirt with white and tawny ſtreaks, a finger broad a piece: The Head of it was extraordinarily long, ſtriped and partly coloured as the reſt of the Body: Its Ears, like a Buffles, were very wide at the end, and black, yellow, and white: Its Legs ſtreaked juſt like the Body, not long ways, but round the Leg, in faſhion of a Garter, down to the Foot, and all in ſo good proportion and ſymetry, that no Lynx could be more exactly ſpotted, nor any Skin of a Tyger ſo pretty, this may be the Zembra. The Ambaſſador had two more ſuch Aſſes, which dyed by the way, but he brought their Skins with him, to be preſented to the Grand Signior, with the live one. He had alſo ſeveral little black Slaves of Nubia, and other Countries, confining on Ethiopia, Civet, and other coſtly things for his Preſent. Theſe little Blacks ſerve to look after the Women in the Seraglio, after that they are gelded. The Ambaſſador was an old man, and had the end of his Noſe, part of the upper and under Lip cut off, but was otherwiſe a ſhapely man, and of a very good preſence: He was cloathed after the Cophtiſh faſhion, wearing a Turban like them, and ſpoke very good Italian, which gave me the opportunity of converſing with him: He told me his name was Michael, that he was a Native of Tripoly, in Syria, and that he had made three or four Voyages into Chriſtendom: That eighteen months before, he had parted from Gontar, the Capital City of Ethiopia, and was ſo long retarded by the way, becauſe of the contrary Winds he met with on the Red Sea, by which he came. That of an hundred Perſons whom he had brought with him, of his own Servants, and the Slaves he was to preſent to the Grand Signior, thirty or forty were dead. If he had come by Land, he had not been ſo long by the way; for from Gontar to Schouaquen it is about ſix weeks Journey, and from Schouaquen to Caire forty or fifty days by Camels; but he could not take that way becauſe of his Train. He told me many things relating to the Kingdom of Ethiopia, which I ſhall here give the Reader an account of.
But firſt, of the ways of paſſing out of Egypt into Ethiopia. The Merchants ſetting out from Grand Caire, are carried up the Nile againſt the Stream, as far as Monfallot, and thence travelling in Caravans, firſt come to Siint, and ſo in order to the following Towns: Wack three days Journey; Meks two days; Scheb three; Sellim three; Moſchu five; Dungala five, accounted the Metropolis of Nubia, then they come into the Kingdom of Sennar: From Dungala they travel to Kſhabi, three days Journey; Korti three more; Trere three; Gerry one; Helfage one; Arbatg three; Sennar four: From Sennar in fourteen days they arrive at the Confines of Habeſſinia, the Entrance is called Tſhelga. The paſſage by Sea is various, for the Merchants embark in ſeveral Ports on the Red Sea, as Sueſſo, Gidda, Alcoſſir, and ſo coaſt it to Suaquena and Matzua. The ſafeſt way of travelling into the Kingdom of Preſter John, is with ſome Metropolitan or Ambaſſador. Some land at Baylar, a Port belonging to the King of Dengala, in amity with the Habeſſins, but the Journey thence by Land is tedious, and infeſted by the Gallons. 'Tis but three months travel by Land from Grand Caire to Gontar, the chief City of Ethiopia.