any punilhment upon me that can poflibly equal the pleasure
I feel this day at feeing you fitting there.” He fmiled
with great good nature, giv ing me firft the back, and then
the palm o f his hand to kifs. He then made me a fign to
Hand in my place, which I immediately did for a moment;
and, feeing he was then upon bufinefs, which I knew nothing
of, I took leave o f him, and could not help reflecting, as I
went, that, o f a ll the vail multitude then in my fight, I vlas»
perhaps, the only one deftitute either o f hope or fear..
A l l Gondar, and the neighbouring towns and villages»
had poured out their inhabitants to meet the k in g upon his
return. The fear o f Ras Michael was the caufe o f all this ;
and every one trembled, left, by being abfent, he ihould be
thought a favourer o f Socinios.
T he fide o f the hill, which Hopes gently from Beleflen, i s
here very b e au tifu l; it is covered thick with herbage down
to near the foot, where it ends in broken rocks. The face
o f this hill is o f great extent, expofed to the W. and S. W .;
a fmall, but clear-running ftream, riling in Beleflen, runs
through the middle o f it, and falls into the Mogetch. It is
not confiderahle, being but a brook, called Mariam-Ohha,
(*'. e. the water o f Mariam) from a church dedicated to the
Virgin, near where it rifes in Beleflen ; an infinite number
o f people fpread themfelves all over the hill, covered with
cotton garments as white as fnow. The number could not
be lefs than 50 or 6o,qoq men and women, all ftrewed upon
the grafs promifcuoufly. Moft o f thefe had brought their
vidtuals with them, others trufted to their friends and acquaintances
in the a rmy; the foldiers had plenty o f meat;
as foon as the k in g had croffed the Tacazze all was lawfu l
prize ;
p r iz e ; and though they did not murder or burn, as was
Michael’s cuftom in his former marches, yet they drove a-
way all the cattle they could feize, either in Begemder or
Beleflen. Befides this, a great quantity Of provifions o f
every fort poured in from the neighbourhood o f Gondar,
in prefents to the k in g and great men, though there was
really famine in that capital, by the roads being every way
obftrufted; there was plenty, however, in the camp.
It was then, the month o f December, the faireffi time o f
the year, when the fun was in the fouthem tropic, und no
danger from rain in the day, nor in the night from dew ;
fo that, i f the remembrance o f the pall had not h u n g he»-
v y on fome hearts, it was a party o f pleafure, o f the moft
agreeable kind, to convoy the kin g to his capital.. The priefts
from all the convents for many miles round, in dreffes o f
yellow and white cotton, came, with their crofles and drums,
in proceffion, and gfeatly added to the variety o f the fcene.
Among thefe were 300 o f the monks o f Kofcam, with their
large crofles, and kettle-drums o f filver, the g ift o f the iteg-
he in the days o f her fplendour; at prefent it was very
doubtful what their future fate was to be, after their patro-
nefs bad fled from Kofcam. But what molT drew the attention
o f all ranks o f people, was the appearance o f the
Abuna and Itchegue, whole chara&er, rank, and dignity exempted
them from leaving Gondar to meet the k in g him-
f e l f ; but they were then in great fear, and in the form o f
criminals, and were treated with very little refpetft or ceremony
b y the foldiers, w ho confidered them as enemies..
It w ill be remembered, upon a report being fpread juffi
after the eledion o f Socinios, that Ras Michael’s affairs were
ta k in g