Gondar, and who all welcomed me with the greateft de-
monftrations o f jo y, as i f I had come from a long journey.
I w a s then taken to an inner apartment, where, to my
great furprife, inftead o f Ayto Confu, I faw his mother, Ozo-
ro Efther, fitting on a couch, and at her feet the fecretary’s
daughter, the beautiful Tecla Mariam; and, foon after, the
fecretary himfelf, and feveral others belonging to the court.
After having made a profound obeifance, “ Ozoro Efther,
faid I, I cannot fpeak for furprife. What is the meaning o f
y o u r having left Gondar to come into this wildernefs ? As
for Tecla Mariam, I am not furprifed at feeing h e r ; I know
fhe at any time would rather die than leave you ; but that
y ou have both come hither without Ayto Confu, and in fo
ihort a time, is what I cannot comprehend ”— “ There is nothing
fo ftrange in this, replied Ozoro Efther; the troops o f
B.egemder have tak en away m y huiband, Ras Michael, God
knows w h e re ; and, therefore, being now a fingle woman,
I am refolved to go to Jerufalem to pray for my huiband,
.and to die there, and be buried in the Holy Sepulchre. You
would not ftay with us, fo wesare go in g with you. is there
an y thing furprifing in all this j ”
“ B u t tell me truly, fays Tecla Mariam, you that know
every thing, while peeping and poring through thefe long
glafles, did not you learn by the ftars that we. were to meet
y ou here Madam, anfwered I, i f there was one ftar in
the firmament that had announced to me fuch agreeable
news, I fhould have relapfed into the old idolatry o f this
country, and worihipped that ftar for the reft o f my life.”
JBreakfaft n ow came in ; the converfation took a very live ly
yum, and from the fecretary I learned that the matter ftood
* thus s
th u s : The king, reftoring the villages to the Iteghe, according
to the ftipulation o f his laft treaty with Powuflen,
thought that he might fo far infringe upon it, from gratitude
to Ras Michael, as to g iv e part o f the number to O zoro
Efther, the Iteghe’s daughter; and Ayto Confu, go in g to
Tcherkin to hunt, he took his mother along with him to
put her in pofieflion ; for the Iteghe’s people were not
lambs, nor did they pay much regard to the orders o f the
king, nor to that o f the Iteghe their miftrefs, at all times,
farther than fuited their own convenience.
We now wanted only the prefence o f Ayto Confu to
make our happinefs complete; he came about four, and
w ith him Ayto Engedan, and a great company. There was
nothing but rejoicing on all fides. Seven ladies, relations
and companions o f Ozoro Efther, came with Ayto Confu ;
and I confefs this to have been one o f the happieft moments
o f my life. I quite forgot the difaftrous journey I had
before me, and all the dangers that awaited me. I began even
to regret being fo far in my way to leave Abyifinia for ever.
We learned from Ayto Confu, that it had been reported at
Gondar that w e had been murdered b y the peafants o f Gim-
baar, but the contrary was foon known. However, Engedan
and he had fet the lefier village on fire in their pafiage,
and laid a contribution o f eleven ounces o f gold- upon the
two larger.
A y t o C o n f u ' s houfe at Tcherkin is built on the edge o f
a precipice which takes its name from the mountain Amba
Tcherkin. It is built all with cane very artificially, tlie
outer wall being compofed o f fafcines o f canes, fo neatly
joined together as not to be penetrated by rain or wind.
The