cefs on one part, fo an immediate revolution, and the death
o f the king, was certainly to follow the mifcarriage on the
other, that is, Ihould he be defeated in, or after making
the attempt.
T r o o p s , headed by Engedan, Ay to Confu, and by Mam-
qio, and all the Iteghe’s relations, now crowded into Kofcam,
into which great plenty o f provifions was alfo carried. The
wall was high' and ftrong, the gates lately put into good .repair,
the tower, or caille, within in perfedt good order; the
Iteghe had not furrendered her fire-arms, and all the inhabitants
around, efpecially the poorer fort, were firmly .attached
to her, as in times o f diftrefs and famine her charity
afforded them a conftant refuge..
S i n c e the Iteghe had returned, I always liyed at Kofcam
by her own defire, as her health was very precarious
fince her refidence in Gojam. This fuited my intention o f
withdrawing privately, and therefore, not to multiply the
number o f leave-takings, I had feen Guiho but once, and
that for a moment, and Ayabdar not at all, fo that my whole
attendance was now between the k in g and queen. The
k in g had denied publicly his intention o f plundering Kofcam,
but in a manner not at all fatisfadlory to the Iteghe ;
I ventured therefore to mention it to him one day when he
was alone, on which he faid, “ I would not do it for your
fake, Yagoube, were there no other reafon; but my mother
(meaning the Iteghe) is ill-advifed, and worfe informed.”
On tire 13th o f Odtober, Powuffen, with a very confider-
able army, and without any previous intimation, arrived at
Kofcam, his head-quarters all the laft campaign. He con-
3 tinued
'tinued there till the ¿2d o f the fame month, and then decamped,
palling by Gondar, without entering i t ; he came
to Ras Gulho’s houfe, under the h ill o f Kofcam, where he
had feveral interviews with the k in g and Iteghd, to what
purport was never k n ow n ; but it probably was to endeavour
feme reconcilement between the k in g and queen, and
this was effected a few days afterwards (at leaf! in appearance)
b y Ayabdar, and fame o f the great men at Gondar,
a fte r which Powuflen returned to Begemder. For my part,
I neither defired nor obtained an interview ; I faw that the
itorm was ready to break, and I was taking the moll fpeedy
and effectual way to be out o f the fphere o f its aition.
O n the 12th o f November, all Gondar was ftruck with
a panic at the news brought in b y the peafants from the
country, flying for refuge to the capital, deftitute o f every
thing, and thankful only they had efcaped with life. Fa-
f il had marched with a confiderable army from Ibaba, and
advanced to Dingleber in peace, when he left the main
body, under the conduit o f Welleta Yafous, and all his
baggage, confidering that place as the limits o f his government.
He marched from this, without taking for him-
fe lf two changes o f raiment, at the head o f 700 horfe, the
moll wild and defperate banditti that ever were introduced
into any unfortunate country. With thefe he burnt every
village and every church between Dingleber and Sar-Ohha,
murdered every male, without diftinftion o f prieft or layman
3 killed every woman paft the age o f child-bearing, and
ga ve the others as ilaves to the wild Pagan Galla whom he
had with him. In ihort, he ju il indulged that body o f men
In the fame enormities that they themfelves exercife in the
inroads they make into countries unhappy enough to be
Y ql. IV. K k their