thefe,. after the murder o f Joas, had appeared in Gqjam, re.
folved to try his fortune ; but he- was apprehended by the
governor o f that province, lent to Gondar, and then to We d i ne.
i t Was faid the other was with Fafil, in Gondar; that
the drum that then beat in Fafil’s houfe announced his
fpeedy intention o f making him k in g : all was confufion
within the palace, but the Ras kept up a ftridt police in the
town.
It was then towards the end o f November, when, by me-*
diation o f the Abuna, the Queen, and the Itchegue, peace
was unexpefledly made between Socinios and Fafil; the
latterfwearing allegiance to Socinios as to his only fovereign,
and the Abuna pronouncing excommunication upon either
o f them which ihould become the enemy o f the other.
What was the intention o f this farce I never yet could learn ;
fo r the very next day Fafil deprived Guflio and Powufien o f
their governments o f Amhara and Begemder, which was
an exprefs proof that his intention ftill was to reftore
Tecla Haimanout. The doors o f the k in g ’s palace were again
immediately ihut, and figns o f hoftilities commenced as before.
I w a s dining with Ozoro Efther, when a meffenger arrived
from Coque Abou Barea, w ith a complaint to the queen
that he was on his march to Gondar, to pay his allegiance
to Socinios, and bring him the tribute o f his province, when
he received a mefiage from Fafil to return the greateft part
o f his trooffs; but that, defiring to be as ufeful as poffible
in preventing the coming o f Michael, he fo far difobeyed
that order as to bring with him a confiderable body o f
the bell o f his foldiers, fending the reft home under the
conduit
conduit o f Welleta'Selafle; but that on the 26th, early in the
morning, he had l^een furprifed by Confu and Engedan,
who, without any caufe alledged, had killed and difperfed
all his troops, and taken from them all the horfes and mules
they could lay their hands on: that they after followed Wel-
leta Selafie, and had come up with him unawares, juft as
he entered Guefgue, had defeated him, and that A yto Engedan,
in the beginning o f the fight, had flain him with
his own hand, by wounding him in the throat with a lance
when ftretching out his hand to p a r le y ; after which, they
had fet fire to nine villages in Guefgue, and given the plunder
to their foldiers.
In the mean time Powufien had not difregarded the re-
queft o f Socinios. He had attempted to furprife Fafil, but
could not pafs Aylo, who was at Emfras, without fallin g upon
him firft, which he did, difperfing his troops with little refinance.
Upon the firft intelligence o f this, Fafil proclaimed
T ecla Haimanout k in g ; and, ftriking his tents, fat down
at Abba Samuel, a colleftion o f villages about two miles
from Gondar, inviting all people, that would efcape the
vengeance o f Ras Michael, to come and join him, and
leave Gondar. From this he retreated near to Dinglebery
on the fide o f the lake, and intercepted all provifions coming
to Gondar, which occafioned a very great famine, and
many poor people died,
H it h e r t o I had no intercourfe with Socinios, never having
been in his prefence, but when the Galla, the murderer
o f Joas, was tried; nor had I any reafon to think he knew
me, or cared for me more than any Greek that was in p o n d a r ;
but I h a d . a good friend at court, who waked when I flept,
and