begun to require fatisfaftion for the blood o f the late k in g
Joas, in the ihedding o f which thefe two were particularly
concerned. Among the flain were our friends the Baharna-
gaih and his fon, who. died valiantly fighting before the
k in g at the time he efcaped down the bank into the valley.
B u t what ferved as comfort to the king, was the' ftill
heavier lofs fuftained by the enemy, who, by their own accounts
that day, loft above- 9000 men, feven thoufand o f
whom were from the troops o f Begemder and Lafta, with
which the k in g was engaged. For my own part, 1 cannot
believe, but that both thefe accounts are much exaggerated;
the great proportion that died o f thofe that were wounded
muft have greatly fwelled the lofs o f the rebels, becaufe
moft gun-fliot wounds, efpecially if bones are broken, mortify,
and prove mortal. Among the flain, on the part o f Begemder,
were two chiefs o f Lafta, and two relations of'Po-
wuflen, fa brother-in-law and his fon) they were both fliot,
bearing the banner o f k in g Theodoras. The unworthy
Confu, brother to Guebra Mehedin, and nephew to the Ite-
ghe, whom I have often mentioned, had efcaped, indeed,
from Kafmati Ayabdar, who had given orders to confine him,
to die a rebel this day among the troops o f Begemder.
T h e k in g being waihed and drelled, and having dined,
received a compliment from Ras Michael, who fent him a
prefent o f fruit, and a thoufand ounces o f gold. There began
then the filthieft o f all ceremonies that ever difgraced
any nation filling themfelves Chriftians; a ceremony that
cannot be put in terms fufficiently decent for modeft ears,
without adapting the chafte language o f fcripture, which,
2 when
when neceflity obliges to treat o f grofs fuhjefls, always
makes choice o f the leaft offenfive language.
A li. thofe, w hether women or men, who have fiefs o f the
crown, are obliged to furnitli certain numbers o f horfe and
foot. The women were feldom obliged to perfonal attendance,
till RgS M-chael made,it a rule, in order-to: compoie
a ;cqurt or company for Ozoro Efthgr. At the end o f a day
o f battle'each chief is obliged to fit at the door o f his tent,
and each o f his followers, who has flain a man, prefents
himfe lf in his turn, armed as in fight, with the bloody
fore ¡kin o f the -man whom he has flain h an g in g upon the
xvrift o f Itis right hand. In this, too, he holds his lance,
brandiflting it over his mafter, or miftrefs, as i f he intended”
to f l r ik e ; and repeating in a feeming rage, a rant o f non-
fepfe,, which admits o f no variation, “ I ,am John the fon o f
George, the fon o f William, the fon o f Thomas ; I am the
rider upon the brown horfe ; I faved your father’s life at
fuch a b a ttle ; where would you have been i f I had not
-fought fo r you to-day ? you give me no encouragement, no
cloaths, nor m on ey ; you do not deferve fuch a fervant as I ;”
and with that he throws his bloody fpoils upon the ground
before his fuperior. Another comes afterwards, in his turn,
and does, the fame-; and, i f he has killed more than one man,
fo many more times he returns, always repeating the fame”
nonfenfe, with the fame geftures. I believe \ there was a
heap o f above 400 that day, before Ozoro Efther; and it was
monftrous to fee the young and beautiful Tecla Mariam
fitting upon a ftool prefiding at fo filthy a ceremony; nor
was ihe without furprife, fuch is the force o f cuftom,” that
no compliment o f that kind was paid on my p a r t; and ftill
V o l. IV. 47 - more