b e in g frightened at the Arabs with their libds, had thrown
h im , after which he had run o ff and left the horfe among
th e enemy. He begged to have his horfe reffiored at any
price, i f the man that had taken him was allowed to fell
him. He at the fame time fent a prefent o f a large quantity
o f fruit and freih fifh from the lake. The mefienger
was a prieft well known by Ras Michael, and warmly attached
to the king, and it was thought came with an errand
o f more confequence than either about the horfe or
the fiih. The Ras fent h im for his anfwer to the King, who
to ld him, the horfe being taken by the troops o f Ras el
Feel, belonged to me, and with me he muft make his bargain
: that I was at Gondar, and my return uncertain ; but
that the next day he might have m y anfwer. This was the
better to conceal the prieft’s real bufinefs, for the King and
Ras knew how they were to difpofe o f the horfe ; at leaft
th e y certainly kn ew I was not to return him without their
.orders.
T h e morning after my arrival this fame prieft came to
m e with a melfage from Guiho, defiring I would fend him
his horfe, as a proof of the friendfliip which he faid had always
fubfifted between us, at the fame time offering me any
fum o f money that I might have promifed to content the
foldiers who took him. As I had before obtained leave
from Ras: Michael to reftore the horfe, fo I did it with the
very beft grace poffible, fending Yaline himfelf, chief o f the
troops o f Ras el Feel, with the meflage to Guiho, that I reckoned
myfelf exceedingly happy in h aving that opportunity
o f obliging him, and o f fliewing the value I had ever fet
upon his friendfliip'; that he very well knew the little reg
a rd I had for money, and that the foldier who took the
j horfe
horfe was my fervant, and had already been abundantly fa-
tisfied, I defired Yafine to add, that I hoped, in order to a
continuation o f that friendfliip, he would avoid, in his own
particular command, or in that o f his relations, attacking
where the king was in perfon, becaufe it was my indifpen-
fible duty to be there, and that his nephew might not efcape
with the lofs o f a horfe, i f he again happened to be engaged
with the Moorifli troops, who, though under my command,
were Mahometans, ftrangers to the language, and to whom
it was impolEble for me to convey any diftinftion o f perfons.
Guiho was exceedingly fenfible of this civil return of the
horfe; he cloathed Yafine magnificently, made him a prefent
of another horfe, and fent a very flattering mefifage by
him to me.
Gttim Tn-.r-T-.TT-1 ■ .,.,<¿3
Vol. IV. S CHAR