o f his friends without the tent, and ftill more fo upon our-
heing called in together: the Ras was converfing low to two
priefts, who by their drefs feemed to have come lately from
Gondar; he paid little regard to either o f us, but nodded, and
afked in Tigre. how we did !* T hree or four fervants, however,
brought out new fine cotton clothes, which they put
upon us Both ; and, upon another nod, feveral officers and
priefts, and'a number o f other people, conducted ns to the
k in g, though ftill; as the Ras had fcareely fpoken to us, I
wondered'how this fllould end;.' After flaying a little we
were both introduced; the L ikaontes; or judges, fome priefts,.
and my friend: the fecretary, flood about the king, who fat
in the middle o f his tent upon the ftool GuangOul had fat
down upon ; the fecretary held fomething- in his lap, and,.
up on .G u eb ra Mafcal’s firft kneeling, bound a white:
fillet like a ribband round his forehead, upon, which were-
written in black and red ink, Mb ambajfd am Nizelet Solomon ami
Negade Judl, “ The lion o f the tribe of Jpdah o f the race o f
Solomon has overcome.” The fecretary then declared his,
inveftiture; the kin g had1 given him in fief, or for military
fervice for ever, three large villages in Dembea, which lie-
named, and this was proclaimed afterwards by beat o f drum,
at the door o f the tent: The k in g then likewife prefented:
him with a gold knife, upon: which: h e killed. the ground;,
and arofe..
I t was my turn next to kneel’ before the lting. Whether
there was any thing particular in m y countenance, o e -
what fancy came into his head X know not, but when I:
looked him in the face he could fcarce refrain from laughing.
He had a large chain o f gold, with very mafiy links-,,
which he doubled twice, and then put it over my neck,
while::
while the fecretary faid, “ Yagoube, the k in g does you this
great honour, not as payment o f paft fervicts, but as a pledge
that he will reward them i f you will put it in his power.”
Upon this I killed the ground, and we were hoth recon-
dufted to the Ras, with ou r infign ia ; and, having killed the
ground before him, and then his hands, we both had leave
to retire. He feemed very bufy with people arrived from
w ith o u t; he only lifted up his head, fmiled, and faid, Well;
are you friends now ? We both bowed without anfwer, and
left the tent.
T he chain confifted o f 184 links, each o f them weighing
3xidwts o f fine gold. It was with the utmoft relu&ance
that, being in want o f every thing, I fold great part o f this
honourable diftin&ion at Sennaar in my return home ; the
remaining part is ftill in my pofieffion; It is hoped my
fucCeflbrs w ill never have the fame excufe I had, for further
diminilhing this honourable monument which I have-
left tnem..
A bout a few hours after this, a much more ihterefting
fpeftacle appeared before the whole camp. Ayto Tesfos, go-’
vernor o f Samen under Joas, had never laid down his arms,,
nor paid any allegiance to the prefent kin g or his father,
but had conftantly treated them as ufurpers, and- the Ras
as a rebel and parricide. He had continued in friendffiip
with Fafil, but never would co-operate or join with him,,
not even when he was at Gondar as Ras. He lived in the
inacceffible rock, (called the Jews Rock) one o f the higheft
o f the mountains o f Samen, where he. maintained a large
number o f troops, w ith which he overawed the whole n eigh -
bouringcountry, andmade perpetual inroads into Tigre. Enemy