E o r tits e feemed to have taken delight, from very early1
life, conftancly to traverfe the greatnefs and happinefs o f
this young lady. She was firft dedined to be married to*
Joas, and the affair was near concluded, when the fatal dif-
covery, tirade' at the battle o f Azazo, that the k in g had fent
his houfehold troops privately to fight for Fa-fil againft Michael,
prevented her marriage, and occasioned his death..
She was then deftined to old Hatze Hannes, Tecla Haima-
nout’s fa th e r : Michael, who found him incapable o f being:
a k in g, judged him as incapable o f being a huiband to a
Woman o f the youth and charms o f Welleta Selafle, and,
therefore, deprived him at once o f his life,, crown, and:
bride. She was now not feventeen,and it was defigned ihe
fliould be married to the prefent k in g ; Providence put a
flop to a union that was not agreeable to either p a r ty : ihe
died fome time after this, before the battle o f Serbraxos ^
being1 ftrongly prefied to gratify the brutal inclinations o f
the Ras her grandfather, whom, when ihe could not refiifc
o f avoid, ihe took poifon; .others faid it was given her by
Ozoro I'flher from jealoufy, but this was certainly without
foundation. I faw her in her laft moments, but too late to
give her any afliftance; and ihe had told her women-fervants
and Haves that me had taken arfenic, having no other w a y
to avoid committing fo monftrous a crime as inceit w ith
the murderer o f her father.
^ Tue rage that the interceffion o f the daughter for her
father Guebra Denghel had put the Ras into, was feen in
the feferity o f the fentence he paffed upon the other
criminals ; Kefla Mariam’s eyes were pulled out, Se-
baat Laab’s eye-lids were cut o ff by the roots, and both o f
them were expofed in the market-place to the burning fun,
a without
Without ' any covering whatever. Sebaât Laab died o f a
fever in à few days 5 Kefîà Miriam lived, if hot to fee, at lead
to hear, that he was reveiiged, after the battle o f Serbraxos,
b y the difgràcè and captivity o f Michâël.
• I wmi- fpare iü ÿ felf thé difagtéfeable tàik o f .fhotkitig m f
readers with any further account o f thefe horrid cruelties ;
enough has been faid to give an idea o f the character o f
thefe times and people. Blood continued to be fpilt as water,
day after daÿ, till thè Epiphany ; priefts, lay-men, young
men and old, noble and vile, daily found their-end by the
kn ife or the cord. Fifty-feven people died publicly by the
hand o f the executioner in the courfe o f a ve ry few days ,;
many difappeared, and were either murdered privately, or
fent to priions, nò one knevir where.
T he b odies. o f thbfe killed by the fword Were hewn tò
pieces and fcattered about the ftreets, being denied burial.
■ I was miferablé, and almoft driven to defpair, at feeing my
hunting-dogs, twice let loofe by the careleilhefs o f my fen-
vants, bringing into the eoûrt-yàrd the head and arms o f
flaughtered men, and which I could no w a y prevent but
by the deftruélion o f the dogs themfelves ; the quantity o f
carrion, and the ftench o f it, brought down the hyænas in
hundreds from the neighbouring mountains; and, as few
people in Gondar go Out after it is dark, they; enjoyed the
ftreets to themfelves, and feemed ready to difpute the pof-
feflion o f the city with the inhabitants. Often when I went
•home late from the palaee, and it Was this time the k in g
'chofe chiefly for converfation, though I had but to pafs the
corner o f the market-place before the palace, had lanthorns
with me, and was furrounded with armed men, I heard
V o l . IV. L them