or ZINDERO, a small territory of Africa to the south of Abyssinia; being separated from it by the river Zebec, by which it is also almost entirely surrounded. This river is extremely large, having more water than the Nile, and being much more rapid; so that, during the rainy season, it would be altogether impassable, were it not for the large rocks which are in its channel. The extreme difficulty which occurs in passing this river, however, is the means of preserving the kingdom of Gingiro, which would otherwise be conquered in a single season by the Galla.

The most remarkable particular with regard to this kingdom is, that the sovereign is a professed votary of the devil. "This superstition (says Mr Bruce) reaches down all the western side of the continent on the Atlantic ocean, in the countries of Congo, Angola, and Benin. In spite of the firmest foundation in true philo- philosophy, a traveller, who decides from the information and investigation of facts, will find it very difficult to treat these appearances as absolute fictions, or as owing to the superiority of cunning of one man in over-reaching another. For my own part, I confess, I am equally at a loss to assign reasons for disbelieving the fiction on which their pretensions to some preternatural information are founded, as to account for them by the operation of ordinary causes."

In this kingdom every thing is conducted, or pretended to be conducted, by magic; and all those slaves, which in other African countries are sold to Europeans, are here sacrificed to the devil, human blood being a necessary part in all their accursed solemnities. "How far (says Mr Bruce) this reaches to the southward, I do not know; but I look upon this to be the geographical bounds of the reign of the devil on the north side of the equator in the peninsula of Africa."

With regard to this country, very little farther is known than some of the customs of the people transiently picked up by the Jesuit missionaries in Abyssinia. From them we learn, that the kingdom is hereditary in one family, though it does not regularly descend to the eldest son, the king being chosen by the nobles; in which they resemble their neighbours the Abyssinians. When the king dies, his body is wrapped in a fine cloth, and a cow is killed. The body so wrapped up is next inclosed in the cow's skin; and all the princes of the royal family fly and hide themselves in the bushes, while those who are intrusted with the election enter the thickets, beating about everywhere as if for game. At last a bird of prey, called in their language liber, appears, and hovers over the person destined to be king; crying and making a great noise without quitting his station. By this means the person destined to be elected is found out, surrounded, as is reported, by lions, tigers, panthers, and other wild beasts; all which are supposed to be brought by the power of magic or of the devil.—After the king is found, he flies upon those who came in quest of him with great fury, killing and wounding as many as he can reach, until at last he is dragged to the throne whether he will or not. One particular family have the privilege of conducting him to the throne; and if they should not happen to find him at first, they have a right to take him out of the hands of those who did so; and thus another battle ensues before the vacant throne can be filled. Lastly, before he enters his palace, two men must be killed; one at the foot of a tree by which the house is supported; and the other at the threshold of the door, which is befouled with the blood of the victim. It is the particular privilege of one family to afford these victims; and so far are they from seeking to avoid this fate, that they glory in the occasion, and willingly offer themselves to meet it. This last particular, Mr Bruce says he had in Abyssinia from people coming from Gingiro.