n ight by their friends to keep the beafts from them, were
at laft buffered to be taken privately away, at the intercef-
fion o f the troops o f Tigré, whofe countrymen they were.
Chremation and Abba Salama were abandoned to their fortune,
and in part putrified ; they were covered with heaps
o f ftones thrown upon them by fuch as were palling, and
had no other burial.
T h e next n igh t, the i f t o f January 1 7 7 1 , according to order,
I waited upon the k in g with Confu and Engedan, and
with them Yafine : meafures were then taken for buying
the ir horfes and coats o f mail ; the Ras had advanced part
o f the money, the reft was to be made up by the meery, or
■king’s duty, due b y the Mahometan provinces, which had
n o t been paid fince he went to T ig r é ; a Mahometan fer-
vant o f the k in g was fent for from the cuftomhoufe ; with
him was to go a man from Yafine, and with them I fent
m y letters by the hand o f Soliman, a black o f Ras pi Feel,
a man remarkable for Jnis ftrength, courage, and fize, and
very Ihrewd and difcerning, under the appearance o f an
idiot : Yafine was fent with them to get a fafe conduit from
his f r i e n d FideleShekh o f Atbara.who was to convoy them
to Beyla, and thence to Sennaar.
It was not without great difpute and altercation the
k in g w ould allow me the permiffion to fend letters ; at laft,
feeing he could do no better, it was agreed that, as an immediate
engagement between Powullen, Gulho, and Ras
Michael, was inevitable, I Ihould fwear not to attempt to
leave him till that affair was fettled feme way or other ;
but the k in g infilled I Ihould alfo take an oath, that, Ihould
he be viilorious over, or reconciled to the rebels, i f the engagement
gageiftent I was under in my. own country was not fulfilled,
and I recovered my health, I ihould bring; as many o f
my brethren and family as poffible; with their horfes, muf-
kets, and bayonets ; that, i f I could not pafs by Sennaar,
I ihould çpme. by the way o f the Fail Indies from Surat to
Mafuah, which, by how much it was more tedious, was by
fo much more fecure, than that by Sennaar.
I c a n n o t but hope, the impoflibility o f performing this
oath extinguiihed the fin o f breaking it ; at, any rate, if was
peribnal, and the fubfequent death o f the k in g * mud have
freed me from it ; be that as it will, it had this good.effeét,
that it greatly compofed my mind for the time, as I now
np longer confidered myfelf as involved, in that ancient and
general rule o f the country, Never, to allow a ilranger to return
to his home. We that night learned, that ,the k in g had
been in great ftraits[ ever fince he came from Tigré ; that
the Ras, w ho was pofieffed o f all the revenues o f the provinces
that were in the ir allegiance, haft never-yet given the
k in g an ounce o f gold ; and that he furniihed his daily fubfift-
ence from his own 110u fie, a çôw fo r his own and great officers
table, and two loaves o f bread for each o f his fervants ; as
fmall an allowance as any private perfon gave. It was believed
that the Ras fifed left moft o f his money in Tigré, and
had trailed to the contributions he was to levy upon the
great men whenever he ihould crofs the Tacazzé; blit in
this he difappointed himfelf by his cruelty, for no perfon
V p r .IV . . . M came
* It was reported, .when I w^s at Sennaar, that the king.had been defeated and flaia. I
have no other authority, only think, all things confidered, it was moft probable.