# Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile/Volume 3/Book 6/Chapter 7

CHAP. VII.
King and Army retreat to Tigré—Interesting Events following that Retreat—The Body of Joas is found—Favourable Turn of the King's Affairs—Socinios, a new King, proclaimed at Gondar.
The king had heard that Gusho and Powussen, with Gojam under Ayto Aylo, and all the troops of Belessen and Lasta, were ready to fall upon him in Gondar as soon as the rains should have swelled the Tacazzé, so that the army could not retire into Tigré; and it was now thought to be the instant this might happen, as the king's proclamation in favour of Fasil, especially the giving him Gojam, it was not doubted, would hasten the motion of the rebels. Accordingly that very morning, after the king arrived, the proclamation was made at Gondar, giving Fasil Gojam, Damot, the Agow, and Maitsha; after which his two servants were again magnificently cloathed, and sent back with honour.
As I had never defpaired, fome way or other, of arriving at the fountains of the Nile, from which we were not fifty miles dillant when we turned back at Karcagna, fo I never neglected to improve every means that held out to me the leall probability of accompliihing this end. I had been very attentive and ferviceable to Faiil's iervants while in the camp. I fpoke greatly of their mailer, and, when they went away, gave each of them a fmall prefent for himfelf, and a trifle alfo for Fafil. They had, on the other hand, been very importunate with me as a phylician to prefcribe fome- thing for a cancer on the lip, as I underilood it to be, with which Welleta Yafous, Fafil's principal general, was afflic- ted.
I had been advifed, by fome of my medical friends, to carry along with me a preparation of hemlock, or cicuta,. recommended by Dr Stork, a phyfician at Vienna. A confi- derable quantity had been fent me from France by commif- fion, with directions how to life it. To keep on the fafe fide, I prcfcribed fmall dofes to Welleta Yafous, being much more anxious to preferve myfelf from reproach than warm- ly folicitous about the cure of my unknown patient. I gave him pofitive advice to avoid eating raw meat ; to keep to a milk diet, and drink plentifully of whey when he ufed this medicine. They were overjoyed at having fucceeded fo well in their commiffion, and declared before the king, That Fafil their mailer would be more pleafed with receiving a medicine that would reftore Welleta Yafous to health, than with the magnificent appointments the king's goodnefs had bellowed upon him. " If it is fo, faid I, in this day of grace, I will aik two favours." — " And that's a rarity, fays the king ; come, out with, them ; I don't believe anybody is defirous
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you mould be refufed ; I certainly am not ; only I bar one of them, you are not to relapfe into your ufual defpondency, and talk of going home." — " Well, Sir, faid I, I obey, and that is not one of them. They are thefe — You mall give me, and oblige Fafil to ratify it, the village Geefh, and the fource where the Nile rifes, that I may be from thence fur- nifhed with honey for myfelf and fervants ; it fhall Hand me inftead of Tangouri, near Hmfras, and, in value, it is not worth fo much. The fecond is, That, when I fhall fee that it is in his power to carry me to Geefh, and fhew me thofe fources, Fafil fhall do it upon my requeft, without fee Gr reward, and without excufe or evafion.
They all laughed at the eafinefs of the requeft ; all de- clared that this was nothing, and wiihed to do ten times as much. The king faid, " Tell Fafd I do give the village of Geefh, and thofe fountains he is fo fond of, to Yagoube and his pofterity for ever, never to appear under another's name in the deftar, and never to be taken from him, or exchanged, either in peace or war. Do you fwear this to him in the name of your mafter," Upon which they took the two fore fingers of my right hand, and, one after the other, laid the two fore fingers of their right hand acrofs them, then kiffed them ; a form of fwearing ufed there, at leaft among thofe that call themfelves Chriftians. And as Azage Kyrillos, the king's fecretary andhiftorian, was then prefent, the king ordered him to enter the gift in the def- tar, or revenue-book, where the taxes and revenue of the king's lands are regiflered. " I will write it, fays the old man, in letters of gold, and, poor as 1 am, wili give him a village four times better than either Geefh or Tangouri, if he wili take a wife and flay amongft us, at leaft till my eyes 2 ' are ​THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 473
are clofed." It will be eafily guefled this rendered the con- verfation a chearful one. Faiil's fervants retired to fet out the next day, gratified to their utmoft wifh, and, as foon as the king was in bed, I went to my apartment likewiie.
But very different thoughts were then occupying Mi- chael and his officers. They could not truft Fafil, and, be- fides, he could do them no fervice ; the rain was fet in, and he was gone home ; the weftern part of the kingdom was ready to rife upon them ; Woggora, to the north, immedi- ately in his way, was all in arms, and impatient to re- venge the feverities they had fuffered when Michael firft marched to Gondar. The Tacazze, which feparates Tigre from Woggora, and runs at the foot of the high mountains of samen, was one of the largeft and moll rapid rivers in Abyffinia, and, though not the firft to overflow, was, when f welled to its height, impaflable by horfe or foot, rolling down prodigious Hones and trees with its current. Danger- ous as the paflage was, however, there was no fafety but in attempting it : Michael, therefore, and every foldier with him, were of opinion that, if they muft perifli, they mould rather meet death in the river, on the confines of their own country, than fall alive into the hands of their enemies in Amhara. For this, preparation had been making night and day, fince Ras Michael entered Gondar, and probably before it.
There was in Beleflen, on the neareft and eafieft way to
a ford of the Tacazze, a man of quality called Adero, and
his fon Zor Woldo. To thefe two Ras Michael ufed to truft
the care of the police of Gondar when he was abfent upon
. any expedition ; they were very active and capable, but had
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fallen from their allegiance, and joined Powuflen and Gufho, at lcaft in councils. The Ras, immediately upon arriving at Gondar, diiTembling what he knew of their treafon, had fent to them to prepare a quantity of flour for the troops that were to pafs their way ; to get together what horfes they could as quietly as poflible ; to fend him word what ftate the ford was in ; and alfo, if Powuflen had made any move- ment forward ; or if Ayto Tesfos, governor of Samen, had ihewn any difpofition to difpute the paffage through Wog- gora into Tigre. Word was immediately returned by the traitor Adero, that the ford was as yet very paflable ; that it was faid Powuflen was marching towards Maitflia ; that Ay- to Tesfos was at home upon his high, rock, the feat of his government, and that no time was to be loft, as he believed he had already flour enough to fuflice ; he added alfo, that it would be dangerous to collect more, for it would give the alarm. This was all received as truth, and a meflenger fent back withorders,that ZorWoldo fliould leave the flourin fmall bags at Ebenaat, and that he fhould himfelf and his father wait the Ras at the ford, with what horfe they had, the fourth day from that,, in the evening,.
The next morning the whole army was in motion. I' had the evening before taken leave of the king in an in- terview which coft me more than almoft any one in my life. The fubftance was, That I was ill in my health, and quite unprepared to attend him into Tigre ; that my heart was fet upon completing the only purpofe of my coming into Abyilinia, without which I fliould return into my own country with difgrace ; that I hoped, through his majeity's influence, Fafil might find fome way for me to accomplifh it ; if not, I trufted foon to fee him return, when I hoped it
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would be eafy ; but, if I then went to Tigre, I was fully pcrfuaded I fhould never have the refolution to come again to Gondar.
He feemed to take heart at the confidence with which I fpoke of his return. " You, Yagoube, fays he, in a humble, complaining tone, could tell me, if you pleafed, whether I mall or not, and what is to befal me ; thofe inftruments and thofe wheels, with which you are conftantly looking at the ftars, cannot be for any ufe unlefs for prying into futurity."—" Indeed, faid I, prince, thefe are things by which we guide fhips at fea, and by thefe we mark down the ways that we travel by land ; teach them to people that never palled them before, and, being once traced, keep them thus to be known by all men for ever. But of the decrees of Providence, whether they regard you or myfelf, I know no more than the mule upon which you ride."—" Tell me then, I pray, tell me, what is the reafon you fpeak of my re- turn as certain?"—" I fpeak, faid I, from obfervation, from refleaions that I have made, much more certain than pro- phecies and divinations by ftars. The firft campaign of your reign at Fagitta, when you was relying upon the difpofitions that the Ras had molt ably and fkillfully made, a drunk- ard, with a fmgle fliot, defeated a numerous army of your enemies. Povvuffen and Gufho were your friends, as you •thought, when you marched out laft, yet they had, at that very inftant, made a league to deftroy you at Derdera ; and nothing but a miracle could have faved you, flint up be- tween two lakes and three armies. It was neither you nor Michael that difordered their councils, and made them fail in what they had concerted. You was for burning Sam- feen, whilft Woodage Afahel was there in ambufh with a
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large force, with a knowledge of all the fords, and mafter of all the inhabitants of the country. Remember how you palled thofe rivers, holding hand in hand, and drawing one another over. Could you have done this with an ene- my behind you, and fuch an enemy as Woodage Afahel ? He would have followed and harrafled you till you took the ford at Goutto, and there was Welleta Yafous waiting to oppofe you with 6000 men on the oppofite bank. When Ras Michael marched by Mariam Net, he found the priefts at their homes. Was that the cafe in any of the other churches we palled ? No ; all were fled for fear of Michael ; yet thefe were more guilty than any by their connections with Fafil ; notwithflanding which, they alone, of all others, flaid, though they knew not why ; an invifible hand held them that they might operate your prefervation. Nothing could have faved the army but the defperate paffage, fo tremendous that it will exceed the belief of man, crofting the Nile that night. Yet if the priefts had croffed before this, not a man would have proceeded to the ford. The priefts would have been Ras Michael's prifoners, and, on the other fide, they never would have fpoken a word whilft in the prefence of Michael. Providence, therefore, kept them with Kefla Yafous ; all was difcovered, and the army faved by the retreat, and his fpeedy palling at the ford of Delakus.
What would have happened to Kefla Yafous, had I-afil marched down to Delakus either before or after the paffage ? Kefla Yafous would have been cut off before Ras Michael had palled the Kelti ; inftead of which, an unknown caufe detained him, moft infatuated-like, beating his kettle- drums behind Bofkon Abbo, while our army under the Ras was
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fwimming that dangerous river, and moft of us pafling the night, naked, without tents, provifion, or powder. Nor did he ever think of prefenting himfelf till we had warmed ourfelves by an eafy march in a fine day, when we were every way his fuperiors, and Kefla Yafous in his rear. From all thefe fpecial marks of the favour of an over- ruling Pro- vidence, I do believe ftedfaftly that God will not leave his work half finifhed. " He it is who, governing the whole univerfe, has yet referved fpecially to himfelf the depart- ment of war ; he it is who has ftiled himfelf the God of Battles." The king was very much moved, and, as I con- ceived, perfuaded. He faid, " O Yagoube, go but with me to Tigre, and I will do for you whatever you defire me."— " You do, Sir, faid I, whatever I defire you, and more. I have told you my reafons why that cannot be ; let me flay here • a few months, and wait your return." The king then ad- vifed me to live entirely at Kofcam with the Iteghe, with- out going out unlefs Fafil came to Gondar, and to fend him punctually word how I was treated. Upon this we parted with inexpreffible reluctance. He was a king wor- thy to reign over a better people ; my heart was deeply pe- netrated with thofe marks of favour and condefcenfion which I had uniformly received from him ever fince I enter- ed his palace.
On the 5th of June, while Powuffen, Adero, and the con- fpirators were waiting his paffage through BelefTen, (that is to the S. W.) the king's army marched towards Kofcam, over the mountain Debra Tzai towards Walkayt, and the low, hot provinces of AbyfTmia which lie to the N. E. fo that the diilance between them increafed every day in the greateft proportion poflible.
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The queen ordered her gates at Kofcam to be fhut. A little before the Ras mounted his mule, Ozoro Efther and her fcrvants took refuge with her mother the Iteghe; Gon- dar was like a town which had been taken by an enemy ; everyone that had arms in his hands did jufl whathepleafed.
Two very remarkable things were faid to have happened the night before Michael left the city. He had always pre- tended, that, before he undertook an expedition, a perfon, er fpirit, appeared -to him, who told him the iffue and con- fequence of the meafures he was then taking ; this he ima- gined to be St Michael the archangel, and he prefumed very much upon this intercourfe. In a council that night, where none but friends were prefent, he had told them that his fpirit had appeared fome nights before, and ordered him, in his retreat, to furprife the mountain of Wechne, and either Hay or carry with him to Tigre the princes fequeftered there. Nebrit Tecla, governor of Axum, with his two fons, (all concerned in the late king's murder) were, it is faid, itrong advifers of this meafure ; but Ras Michael, (probably fatiated with royal blood already) Kefla Yafous, and all the more worthy men of any confequence, acting on principle, abfolutely refufed to confent to it. It was upon this the paffage by Beleffen was fubftituted inflead of the attempt on Wechne, and it was determined to conceal it.
The next advice which, the Ras faid, this devil, or angel, gave him, was, that they mould fet fire to the town of Gon- dar, and burn it to the ground, otherwife his good fortune was to leave him there for ever ; and for this there was a great number of advocates, Michael feeming to lean that way himfelf. But, when it was reported to the king, that i young ​THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 479
young prince put a dire<5t negative upon it, by declaring that he would rather flay in Gondar, and fall by the hands of his enemies, than either conquer them, or efcape from them, by the commimon of fo enormous a crime. When this was publicly known, it procured the king univerfal good-will, as was experienced afterwards, when he ar.d Mi- chael were finally defeated, and taken prifoners, upon their march in return to Gondar-
The army' advanced rapidly towards Walkayt. Being near the Tacazze, they turned fhort upon Mai-Lumi, (the River of Limes) the governor of which, as I have already faid, in our journey from Mafuah, detained us feveral days at Addergey with a view to rob us, upon a report prevailing that Ras Michael was defeated at Fagitta. This thief the king furprifed and made prifoner, fet lire to his houfe after having plundered it, and carried him as hoftage to Tigre, for the payment of a fum which he laid upon every village to fave them from being fct on fire.
Being now fafely arrived on the banks of the Tacazze, the firft province beyond which is that of Sire, Michael fent before him Ayto Tesfos the governor, a man exceedingly be- loved, to affemble all fort of ailillance for paffing the river. Every one flocked to the ftream with the utmoft alacrity ; the water was deep, and the baggage wet in cro fling, but the bottom was good and hard ; they palled both expeditioufly and fafely, andwere received in Sire, and then in Tigre, with every demonflration of joy
Michael, now arrived in his government, fet himfelf fe- rioully to unite every part under his own jurisdiction. Itwas now the rainy feafon ; there was no poflibility. of taking the
field,. ​field, and a rebellion prevailed in two different districts of his province. The sons of Kasmati Woldo, whose father Ras Michael put to death, had declared for themselves, in their paternal government of Enderta, and Netcho who married Ras Michael's daughter, had taken prossession of the mountain Aromata, commonly called Haramat, an ancient strong-hold of his father's, of which Michael had made himself master, while yet a young man, after besieging it fifteen years. Netcho had also united himself with Za Menfus Kedus, a man of great property in that and the neighbouring country. Enderta is a flat, fertile territory, in the very south-east of Abyssinia, depending on Tigré, and the mountain Aromata is situated near the middle of that province; before taking the field, Michael had directed the two Woldos to be assassinated during a feast at Enderta, and their party dispersed of itself without farther effort.
The mountain shewed a better countenance, and seemed to promise employment for a long time; it was garrisoned by old and veteran troops who had served under Ras Michael. Netcho was the son of his hereditary enemy, anciently governor of that mountain, whom he had reconciled by giving him his daughter in marriage; notwithstanding which he had now rebelled, just as the Ras marched to Maitsha against Fasil, by the persuasion of Gusho and Powussen, purposely that he might form a diversion in Tigré, and for this reason he had little hopes of mercy, if ever he fell into the hands of Ras Michael. I had seen him often, and knew him; he was a tall, thin, dull man, of a soft temper, and easily imposed upon. Za Menfus, the other chief in the mountain, was a very active, resolute, enterprising man, of whom Michael was afraid. He had a large property all around the mountain; had been put in irons by Michael, and had escaped; besides, on his return to Tigré, he ​THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 481
had flain the father of Guebra Mafcal, Michael's nephew by marriage, who was commander in chief of all the muf- quetry Michael had brought from Tigre, fo that he feared nothing fo much as falling into Ras Michael's hands.
Ras Michael faw the danger of leaving an enemy fo prepared and fo lituated behind him ; he therefore, before the rainy feafon was yet finilhed, ordered the whole moun- tain to be furrounded with barracks, or huts, for his fol- diers ; he alfo erected three houfes for himfelf, the principal officers, and the king. The country people were called in to plow and fow the ground in the neighbourhood, fo that his intention was plainly never to rife from thence till he had reduced the mountain of Aromata for the fecond time, after having once before fucceeded in taking it, after jifteen years fiege, from Netcho's father. There we fhall leave him at this fiege, and return to Gondar.
It was on the 10th of June that Gufho and PowufTcn entered Gondar, and next day, the nth, waited upon the .queen ; they both befeeched her to return from Kofcam to the capital, and take into her hands the reins of government for the interim : this me pofitively refufed, unlefs peace was .firft made with Fafil, She faid, that Fafd was the only perfon who had endeavoured to avenge his mailer Joas's death; that he had continued till that day in aims in that quarrel ; and, notwithstanding all the offers that could be made her, fhe never would come to Gondar, nor take any part in public bufinefs, without this condition. Fafil, moreover, informed her by a meffenger, that there was no trufl to be put either in Gufho or PowufTen ; that they had failed in their engagement of following and fighting Ras
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Michael in Maitfha, and had purpofely (laid at home till a; fuperior army fhould fall upon him fingly, and ravage his country : That they had broken their word a fecond time by entering into Gondar without him ; whereas the agree- ment was, that they all three mould have done this at once, to fettle the form of government by their joint delibera- tion. Many days palled in thefe negociations ; Fafil always promifing to come upon fome condition or other, but never- keeping his word, or flirring from Bure.
On the 20th, the queen's fervants, who had gone to offer terms of reconciliation to Fafil on the part of Gufho and Powuflen, returned to their homes. The fame day he or- dered it to be proclaimed in the market-place, That Ayto Tesfos fhould be governor of Samen, and that whoever, ihould rob on that road, or commit any violence, fhould fuf* fer death. This was an act of power, purpofely intended to affront Powuflen and Gufho, and feemed to be opening a road for a correfpondence with Ras Michael; but, above all, it fhewed contempt for their party and their caufe, and that he confidered his own as very diflincl: from theirs ; for Tesfos had taken arms in the late king's lifetime, at the fame time, and upon the fame principles and provocation,, as Fafil, and had never laid down his arms, or made peace, with Ras Michael, but kept his government in defiance of. him.
On the 24th, for fear of giving umbrage, I waited upon Gufho and Powuffen at Gondar. I faw them in the fame room where Ras Michael ufed to fit. They were both ly- ing on the floor playing at draughts, with the figure of a draught-table drawn with chalk upon the carpet ; they of- fered; ​THE SOURCE OF THE NILE.
fered no other civility or falutation, but, fhaking me each by the hand, they played on,without lifting their heads, or look- ing me in the face.
Gusho began by afking me, " Would it not have been better if you had gone with me to Amhara, as I defired you, when I faw you laft at Gondar ? you would have faved your- felf a great deal of fatigue and trouble in that dangerous march through Maitfha." To this I anfwered, " It is hard for me, who am a flranger, to know what is belt to be done in fuch a country as this. I was, as you may have heard, the king's gueft, and was favoured by him ; it was my duty therefore to attend him, efpecially when he defired it; and fuch I am informed has always been the cuftom of the coun- try; befides, Ras Michael laid his commands upon me." On this, fays Powuffen, fhaking his head, " You fee he cannot forget Michael and the Tigre yet." — " Very naturally, added Gufho, they were good to him ; he was a great man in their time ; they gave him confiderable fums of money, and he fpent it all among his own foldiers, the king's guard, which they had given him to command after the Armenian. Ya- goube taught him and his brother George to ride on horfe- back like the Franks, and play tricks with guns and pikes on horfeback ; folly, all of it to be fure, but I never heard he meddled in affairs, or that he fpoke ill of any one, much lefs did any harm, like thofe rafcals the Greeks when they were in favour in Joas's time, for it was not their fault they did not direct every thing." — " I hope I never did, faid I; fure I am I never fo intended, nor had I any provocation. I have received much good ufage from every one ; and the honour, if I do not forget, of a great many profeffions and affurances of friendihip from you, faid I, turning to Gufho. He hefi-
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tat'ed a little, and then added very fupercil ion fly, "Aye, aye,, we were, as I think, always friends."— "You have had, fays Powuilen, a devilifh many hungry bellies fincewe left Gorr- dar." — "You will excufe me, Sir, replied I, as to that ar- ticle; I at no time ever found any difference whether you i was in Gondar or not;" — "There, fays Gufho, by St Deme- trius, there is a truth' for }ou, and you don't often hear that in Begenider. May I fuflcr death if ever you gave a jar of honey to any white man in your life."—" But I, fays Powuf- fen, fitting upright on the floor,- and leaving off play, will give you, Yagoube, a prefent better than Gufho's paulffy jars of honey.- I -have brought with me, addreffing himfclf to me, your double-barrelled gun, and your fword, which I took from that fon ofawh- — e Guebra Mehedin : by St Mi- chael, continued Powuffeh, if I had got hold of that infidel I would have hanged him upon the firlt tree in the way for daring to fay that-he was one of my army when he com- mitted that unmanly robbery upon your people. The Ite- ghe, your friend, -would yefterday have given me ten loads of wheat for your gun, for fhe believes I am to carry it back to Begemder again, and do not mean to give it you, but come to my tent to-morrow and you fhall have it." I very well underftood his meaning, and that he wanted a prefent; ; but was happy to recover my gun at any rate.
I arose to get away, as what had patted did not pleafe me ; for before the king's retreat to Tigre, Gufho had fat in mv Dre-fence uncovered to the waift, in token of humility, . and many a cow, many a fheep, and jar of honey he had fent me ; but my importance was now gone with the king; I was fallen ! and they were refolved, I law, to make me fenfi- ble of it, I told the queen, on my return, what had pafTed.
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They are both brutes, faid me ; but Qutoo fhould have known better.
The next morning, being the 25th, about eight o'clock I- went to PowuiTen's tent. His camp was on the Kahha, near the church of Ledata, or the Nativity. After waiting near an hour, I was admitted ; two women fat by him, nei- ther handfome nor cleanly drefled ; and he returned me my gun and fword, which was followed by a fmall prefent on my part. This, fays he, turning to the women, is a man who knows every thing that is to come ; who is to die, and who is to live ; who is to go to the devil, and who not ; who loves her hufband, and.who cuckolds him."— " Tell me then, Yagoube, fays one of the women, will Tccla Haima- nout and Michael ever come to Gondar a gam ?"— " I do not kno^v who you mean, Madam, faid I; is it the king and the Ras you mean ?"— " Call him the King, fays the other wo- man in half a whifper; he loves the king."—" Well, aye, come, let it be the king then, fays fhe; will the King and Ras Michael ever come to Gondar ?"— " Surely, faid I, the king is king, and will go to any part of his dominions he pleafes,and when he pleafes; do you not hear he is already on his way?" — " Aye, aye, by G--d, fays Powuffen, no fear he'll, come with a vengeance, therefore I think it is high time that I was in Begemder." He then fhrugged up his moulders, and rofe, upon which I took my leave. He had kept me Handing all the time; and when I came to Kofcam I made my report as ufual to the Iteghe, who laughed very hearti- ly, though the king's arrival, which was prophecied, was likely to be a very ferious affair to her.
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That very clay, in the evening, came a fervant from Ras Michael, with taunts and fevere threats to the queen, to Powunen, and Gufho ; he faid he was very quickly bring- ing the king back to Gondar, and being now old, intended to pafs the reft of his life in Tigre ; he, therefore, hoped they would await the king's coming to Gondar, and chufe a Ras for his fucceffor from among themfelves, as he un- derflood they were all friends, and would eafily agree 4 efpe- cially as it was to oblige him..
On the 27th, Gufho and PowufTen waited upon the queen to take their leave. They declared it was not their inten- tion to flay at Gondar, merely to be alternately the fubject of merriment and fcoffing to Michael and to Fafil, and up- on this they immediately fet out on their way home, with- out drum or trumpet, or any parade whatever.
Immediately after, arrived another fervant from Fafil to the queen, defiring that PowufTen and Gufho might halt at EmiVas, adding, that he had jufl then begun his march from Bure, anil would be at Gondar in a few days. Gufho and PowufTen did accordingly halt there, and were detain- ed for the fpace of fix weeks, amufed by falfe pretences and mefTages, in very uncomfortable quarters, till their ar- mies difbanded, the foldiers, from hunger and conflant rains, deferted their leaders, and went every man to his home.
In the beginning of Augufl the queen came to Gondar, and fat on the throne all day. She had not been there thefe three years, and I fincerely wifhed fhe had not gone then. It was in meditation that day to chufe a new king ; fhe was prefent at that deliberation, and her intention was known
4 to ​THESOURCE OF THE NILE. 487
to place a fon of Aylo, Joas's brother, a mere infant, upon the throne. All thofe that were in fear of Michael, and it was very general at that time, cried out againft an infant king at fuch a critical period ; but, old as that princefs was, the defire of reigning had again returned.
Upon the return of the Iteghe that night to Kofcam, Sa- nuda held a council of the principal officers that had re- mained at Gondar, and fixed upon one Welleta Girgis, a young man of about 24 years of age, who had, indeed, been reputed Yafous's fon, but his low life and manners had procured him fafety and liberty by the contempt they had raifed in Ras Michael. His mother, indeed, was of a noble origin, but fo reduced in fortune as to have been obliged to gain her livelihood by carrying jars of water for hire. The mother fwore this fon was begot by Yafous, and as that prince was known not to have been very nice in his choice of mif- trefies, or limited in their number, it was, perhaps, as likely to be true as not, that Welleta Girgis was his fon. He took the name of Socinios. On the morning after, the new king came to Kofcam, attended by Sanuda and his party, with guards, and all the enfigns of royalty. He threw himfelf at the Iteghe's feet, and begged her forgiven- nefs if he had vindicated the rights of his birth, without her leave or participation ; he declared his refolution to govern entirely by her advice, and begged her to grant his requeft and come to Gondar, and again take pollemon of her place as Iteghe, or regent of the kingdom.
It was about the 10th of Auguft that an accident happen- ed, which it was generally thought would have determined Eafil to come to Gondar. A common woman, wife of a
Galla ​4 83 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
Galla atTchelga, a town upon the frontiers of Sennaar, being at variance with her huiband, upbraided him with being the perfon that, with his own hand, had afTaffinated the late lung Joas. This Galla was immediately feized and fent to Gondar, and was examined before the queen, where I was prefent. He, with very little hefitation, declared, That, on a night immediately after the battle of Azazo, he was fent for to Ras Michael, who gave him fome money and large pro- mifes, on condition that he would undertake to murder the king that night. The perfons prefent were Laeca Netcho, and his two fons, Nebrit Tecla and his two fons, Shalaka Becro relation to the prefent king, and Woldo Hawaryat a monk of Tigre. The prifoner faid, he was afraid, if he mould refufe, they would murder him for the fake of fecrecy. He •further faid, that they had given him fpirits to drink till he was intoxicated, and then delivered to him the keys of the apartments where Joas was confined, and they all went with him to the palace; they found the unfortunate king alone, walking in his apartment, very penfive, and, though at the late hour of twelve at night, dreffed in his ufual habit. Two of Laeca Netcho's fons attempted to put a cord round his neck, but the king, being young and ltrong, ihewed a difpo- fition to defend himfelf, and wrefled the cord out of the murderers hands ; upon which Zor Woldo (the name of the Galla) flruck him a violent blow with a bludgeon on the head, which felled him to the ground : The others 4:hen, with a'fhort cord, ftrangled him, the monk, Woldo Hawaryat, crying, difpatch him quickly ; after this they carried the body to the neighbouring church of St Raphael, where a grave, or rather hole, was ready, into which they jhrew it with the clothes juft as he was. The prifoner faid, That, when they were carrying the king's body out of the 2 palace ​THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 489
palace into the church-yard, over a breach in the church- yard wall, they were challenged by a perfon, who afked them what they were about? to which they replied, Bury- in o- a Granger who died that day of a peftilential fever.
Immediately upon this confeflion, the Galla was carried out and hanged upon the daroo-tree before the king's gate. Many condemned this hafly execution, but many likewife thought it prudent; for he had already named a great part of the people about the queen as acceflhry to the death of her fon.
I have faid his name was Zor Woldo; he was of the race of Galla, called Toluma, on the borders of Amhara; he had been formerly a fervant to Kafmati Becro ; was of fmall fta- ture, thin and lightly made; his complexion a yellowiih black, and Angularly ill-favoured. When under the tree, he acknowledged the murder of the king with abfolute in- difference; nor did he deiire any favour, or fliew any fear of death. Zor Woldo's examination and declaration were fent immediately to Fafil, who, as ufual, promifed to come to Gondar quickly. The body of Joas was railed alfo, and laid in the church (in his clothes, juft as he was dug up) upon a little ftraw ; his features were eafily diftinguifhable, but fome animal had ate part of his cheek.
The day after, I went from Kofcam to Gondar without acquainting the Iteghe, and took a Greek called Fetros with me ; he had been chamberlain to Joas. We went about eleven o'clock in the forenoon to the church of St Raphael, expecting to have feen many as curious as ourfelves, but, by reafon of the atrocioumefs of the act, now for the firft
Vol. III. 3 0, timc ​time known to be true, and the fear of Ras Michael threatening Gondar every day, not a living soul was there but a monk belonging to the church itself, who kept the key. It was thought criminal to know what it was apparent Michael had wished to conceal. Petros no sooner saw his master's face than, saying, It is he! he ran off with all the speed possible: for my part, I was mocked at the indecent manner in which the body was exposed; it affected me more than the murder itself, for it appeared as if it had been thrown down upon the ground, the head, arms, and legs lying in all sorts of directions, and great part of his haunch and thigh bare. I desired the monk to lock the door, and come along with me to Petros's house. Petros was a merchant who sold carpets, and such sort of goods used in the country, which he brought from Cairo. It was full an hour before we could make him behave sensibly, or deliver me a small Persian carpet, such as Mahometans use to pray upon, that is about seven feet long and four feet broad, and a web of coarse muslin, which I bought of him. I told the priest (for Petros absolutely refused to return to the church) how to lay the body decently upon the carpet, and to cover his face and every part with the muslin cloth, which might be lifted when any body came to see the corpse.
The priest received the carpet with great marks of satisfaction, and told me it was he who had challenged the murderers when carrying the body over the wall; that he knew them well, and suspected they had been about some mischief; and, upon hearing the king was missing the next day, he was firmly convinced it was his body that had been buried. Upon going also to the place early in the morn​ing, he had found one of the king's toes, and part of his foot, not quite covered with earth, from the haste the murderers were in when they buried him; these he had put properly out of sight, and constantly ever after, as he said, had watched the place in order to hinder the grave from being disturbed, or any other person being buried there.
About the beginning of October, Guebra Selassé, a servant of the king and one of the porters in the palace, came on a message to the queen. It was a laconic one, but very easily understood.—"Bury your boy, now you have got him; or, when I come, I will bury him, and some of his relations with him." Joas, upon this, was privately buried. As this Selassé was a favourite of mine, who took care of my shoes when I pulled them off to go into the audience-room, I waited impatiently for this messenger's coming to my apartment, which he did late in the evening. I was alone, and he advanced so softly that I did not at first hear or know him; but, when the door was shut, he began to give two or three capers; and, pulling out a very large horn, "Drink! drink! G—d d—n! repeating this two or three times, and brandishing his horn over his head. Selasse, said I, have you lost your senses, or are you drunk? you used to be a sober man."—"And so I am yet, says he, I have not tasted a morsel since noon; and, being tired of running about on my affairs, I am now come to you for my supper, as I am sure you'll not poison me for my master's sake, nor for my own either, and I have now enemies enough in Gondar."—"I then asked, How is the king?"—"Did not you hear, said he—Drink!—the king told me to say this to you that you might know me to be a true messenger." And an Irish servant of mine, opening the door in the instant, thinking it was ​492 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
I that called drink ! Selafle adroitly continued, " He knows you are curious in horns, and fent you this, defiring me firft to get it filled at the Iteghe's with good red wine, which I have done ; and now, Hallo ! Drink ! Englishman !" He then added in a whifper, when the fervant had fhut the door, " I'll tell it you all after flipper, when the houfe is quiet, for I fleep here all night, and go to Tigre to-morrow morn- ing."
The time being come, he informed me Ras Michael and Fa-fil had made peace ; Welleta Michael, the Ras's nephew, taken by Fafil at the battle of Limjour, had been the medi- ator ; that the king and Michael, by their wife behaviour, had reconciled Tigre as one man, and that the Ras had ifllied a proclamation, remitting to the province of Tigre their whole taxes from the day they paffed the Tacazze till that time next year, in confideration of their fidelity and fervices ; and this had been folemnly proclaimed in feveral places by beat of drum. The Ras declared, at the fame time, that he would, out of his own private fortune, with- out other afEftance,, bear the expence of the campaign till he featccl the king on his throne in Gondar. A kind of madnefs, he faid, had feized all ranks of people to follow their fovereign to the capital ; that the mountain Haramat flill held out ; but that all the principal friends, both of Za Menfus andNetcho, had been up with the governors of that fortrefs offering terms of peace and forgivennefs, and de- firing they would not be an obflacle in the king's way, and a hinderance to his return, but that all terms had been as yet refilled ; however, fays he, you know the Ras as well a3 I, he will play them a trick fome of thefe days, winking with his eye, and then crying out, Drink !
I ASKED ​THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 493
I asked him if any notice had been taken of the carper I had procured to cover the body of Joas, and hoped it had' given no umbrage. He faid, " No ; none at all ; on the con- trary, the king had faid twenty kind things upon it ; that he was prefent alfo when a priefl told it to Ras Michael, who only obferved, Yagoube, who is a ftranger in this coun- try, is fhocked to fee a man taken out of his grave, and thrown like a dog upon the bare floor. This was all Mi- chael faid, and he never mentioned a word on the fubjeel: afterwards ;" nor did he, or the king, ever fpeak of it to mc upon their return to Gondar.
The Itcghe, too, had much commended me, fo did all the nobility, more than the thing deferved ; for furely com- mon humanity dilated thus much, and the fear of Michael, which I had not, was the only caufe that fo proper an ac- tion was left in a ftranger's power. Even Ozoro Either, enemy to Joas on account of the death of her hufband Ma- riam Barea, after I had attended her one Sunday from church to the houfe of the Iteghe, and when fhe was fet down at the head of a circle of all thofe that were of diftinclion at the court, called out aloud to me, as I was palling behind, and pointing to one of the moil honourable feats in the room, faid, Sit down there, Yagoube ; God has exalted you above all in this country, when he has put it in your power, though but a ftranger, to confer charity upon the king of it. All was now acclamation, efpecially from the ladies ; and, I believe, I may fafely fay, I had never in my life been a favourite of fo many at one time.
T dispatched Guebra SelafTe with a meiTage to the king,, that I was refolved now to try once more a journey to the
head ​^94 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
head of the Nile ; that I thought I lhould have time to be there, and return to Gondar, before the Tacazze was ford- able, foon after which I expected he would crofs it, and that nothing but want of health would prevent me from join- ing him in Beleffen, or fooner, if any opportunity fhould offer.
Before I took my lafl refolutions I waited upon the queen. She was exceedingly averfe to the attempt ; fhe bade me remember what the laft trial had cofl me; and beg- . ged me to defer any further thoughts of it till Fafil arrived in Gondar ; that flie would then deliver me into his hands, and procure from him fure guides, together with a fafe con- duct. She bad me beware alfo of troops of Pagan Galla which were paffing and repaffing to and from his army, who, if they fell in with me, would murder me without mercy. She added, that the priefts of Gojam and Damot were mortal enemies to all men of my colour, and, with a word, would raife the peafants againft me. This was all true; but then many reafons, which I had weighed well, con- curred to mew that this opportunity, dangerous as it was, might be the only time in which my enterprife could be practicable ; for I was confident a fpeedy rupture between Fafil and Michael would follow upon the king's return to Gondar. I determined therefore to fet out immediately without farther lofs of time.
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