îOn the other hand, Adera Tacca Georgis,. (the kin g’s Fit-
Auraris) and Guebra Welleta Yafous, principal people in
Maitiha, and whom Falil had put about the king, deiired leave
to retire to their own country, from which it is probable
they will never again return ,to Gondar, unlefs as enemies.
A l t h o u g h the k in g ftill ôbftinatély inlifted that the'Ras
ihould pay him his thoufand ounces o f gold, and five
hundred mufquets, as a price for his being fet at liberty,
this was refufed by Gulho, in terms that ihewed he was
not now, as formerly, afraid o f the kin g’s power. On the
other hand, the k in g proclaimed Kefla Yafous .governor o f
the province o f Tigré, with the fame extent o f command
as Ras Michael had enjoyed it ; and he was already there,
and had taken upon him the government o f that province.
A t the fame time the k in g fuperfede'd Guiho, and deprived
him o f his province o f Amhara, which was given to his
nephew Ayto Adigo, Ton o f Palambaras Durrie, a man o f
very great intereft and property in the .province ; after
w hich he immediately left Gondar, and -took his way thro’
Begemder ; but-at the v e ry .entrance into Amhara, he was
defeated by a fon o f G u ih o w ho was expeéting him ; his
troops were difperfed,and his brother, Ayto Adereflon, (the
man who loft Guffio’s harfe.at,the .battle o f Tedda) wounded
and taken prifoner.
T .h m e remained no lon g e r any doubt that, as foon as
the rains were over,-the former fcenes o f bloodihed and
jConfufion were to be aéted over again ; for, by appointing
.Kefla Yafous to the government o f Tigré, and Ayto Adigo
Eto that.of Amhara, and the peaceable paflage given to this
-3 jo u n g
young nobleman through Begemder, in order to fupplant
his uncle Guiho, by the great confidence fliewn by the k in g
in the old officers, and relations o f . Ras Michael, now at
Gondar, and the difmiffion o f Falil’s friends, (Adera Tacca,
Georgis and Confu Adam) the moft ample confeffion pof-
fible was made; that the-king had again thrown himfelf into
the arms.of the province o f Tigre and Begemder united;
to which Amhara was to be added, by keeping Guiho prb
foner, till fuch time as. his nephew Adigo could gain.entire:
ppffeffion...
T é counterpoifé this, a meflënger arrived from Fafil, dëc-
manding privàtely o f the k in g, that Gulho.ihould be fet at
liberty, and return to his province o f Amhara ;. that Lika
Netcho, one o f the murderers o f Joas, (who had been fpared,.
as be in g married tom relation: o f the king) ihould be immediately
put to death, and that all the officers belonging to
Ras Michael, then at. court,. Ihould be baniffied for ever to
Tigré, their native country. The k in g returned a.ppfitive-
refufal, not- qualified in any ihape whatever...
A d i s a g r e e m e n t now happened, which, more than all '
the reft, was interefting, and difturbed me in particular.
Eofitive information, was brought to- the. Iteghè, and, It
believe, very authentic, that the- k in g, weary o f the many
councils. held at Kofcarn by. the fervantsand.deputies
o f the feveral parties, in.the-queen’s prefence, (to which he
was not called) had . determined to give up the palace o f
Kofcam, in which i t was thought there were great riches, to -
he plundered by his foldiers.- As the death'of'the queen by-
her confinement in fome diftant defect and unwholefome *
content, muft have probably been the confequence o fiu c -
cefss