him Gojam, and also restored the | and upright behaviour. All who province of Amhara. To Fasil had attempted the same journey were given Damot, Maitsha, hitherto had met with disapand Agow; and, for the greater pointment, disgrace, or death; solemnity, the king and Fasil for my part, although I undertook a formal oath to ratify all went every sort of toil, danger, these articles, and to remain and all manner of hardship, yet in friendship for ever. After these were not confined to mywhich, the Abuna, in pontificals, self. I suffered always honourbeing called to be present, pro- ably, and in common with the nounced a formal curse and rest of the state; and when sentence of excommunication, sunshiny days happened (for upon whichever of the parties sunshiny days there were, and should first break the vow they very brilliant ones too), of these had taken. I was permitted freely to partake; and the most distinguished characters, both at court and in the army, were always ready to contribute, as far as possible, to promote what they thought or saw was the object of my pursuits or entertainment.

It is here a proper period to finish the history of Abyssinia; as I was no further present at, or informed of, the public transactions which followed.

My whole attention was now taken up in preparations for my return through the kingdom of Sennaar and the desert. Neither shall I take up the reader's time with a long narrative of leavetaking, or what passed between me and those illustrious personages with whom I had lived so long in the most perfect and cordial friendship. Men of little and envious mind would perhaps think I was composing a panegyric upon myself, from which, therefore, I most willingly refrain. But the several marks of goodness, friendship, and esteem which I received at parting are confined within my own breast, where they never shall be effaced, but continue to furnish me with the most agreeable reflections, since they were the fruit alone of personal merit, and of honest, steady,

I shall only here mention what passed at the last interview I had with the Iteghé, two days before my departure. Tensa Christos, who was one of the chief priests of Gondar, was a native of Gojam, and consequently of the low church, or a follower of Abba Eustathius, in other words, as great an enemy as possible to the Catholic, or, as they call it, the religion of the Franks.

This priest came often to the Iteghe's and Ayto Aylo's, with both of whom he was much in favour, and here I now happened to meet him, when I was taking my leave in the evening. 'I beg of you,' says he, 'Yagoube, as a favour, to tell me, now you are immediately

going away from this country, | my head, and, to my great

surprise, instead of a benediction, repeated the Lord's prayer. I was afraid he would have kept me stooping till he should add the ten commandments likewise, when he concluded,

and you can answer me without fear, Are you really a Frank, or are you not?' 'Sir,' said I, 'I do not know what you mean by fear; I should as little decline answering you any question you have to askGzier y' Baracuc,' May God had I ten years to stay, as bless you. After which, I made now I am to quit this country my obeisance to the Iteghé, to-morrow.' and immediately withdrew; it not being the custom, at public audience, to salute any one in the presence of the sovereign.

We then entered on the merits of our different forms of faith, he defending the Greek Church with considerable energy and vigour. After this conversation, I stood by Tensa Christos, saying, And now, holy father, I have one last favour to ask you, which is your forgiveness, if I have at any time offended you; your blessing, now that I am immediately to depart, if I have it not; and your prayers while on my long and dangerous journey, through countries of infidels and pagans.'

A hum of applause sounded all throughout the room. The Iteghé said something, but what, I did not hear. Tensa Christos was surprised apparently at my humility, which he had not expected, and cried out, with tears in his eyes, 'Is it possible, Yagoube, that you believe my prayers can do you any good?' 'I should not be a Christian, as I profess to be, father,' replied I, if I had any doubt of the effect of good men's prayers.' So saying I stooped to kiss his hand, when he laid a small iron cross upon

Twenty greasy monks, however, had placed themselves in my way as I went out, that they might have the credit of giving me the blessing likewise after Tensa Christos. As I had very little faith in the prayers of these drones, so I had some reluctance to kiss their greasy hands and sleeves; however, in running this disagreeable gauntlet, I gave them my blessing in English,-Lord send you all a halter, as he did to Abba Salama (meaning the Acab Saat). But they, thinking I was recommending them to the patriarch Abba Salama, pronounced at random, with great seeming devotion, their Amen,-So be it.

CHAPTER XIII.

From Gondar to Sennaar.

IT was the 26th of December 1771, at one o'clock in the afternoon, that I left Gondar. I had

purposed to set out early in the ❘ morning, but was detained by the importunity of my friends. The king had delayed my setting out, by several orders sent me in the evening each day; and I plainly saw there was some meaning in this, and that he was wishing to throw difficulties in the way till some accident or sudden emergency (never wanting in that country) should make it absolutely impossible for me to leave Abyssinia. When, therefore, the last message came to Koscam on the 27th, at night, I returned my respectful duty to his majesty, put him in mind of his promise, and, somewhat peevishly, I believe, entreated him to leave me to my fortune; that my servants were already gone, and I was resolved to set out next morning.

that, distant as they then were, they were not in safety, if we had a disposition to do them harm. They seemed to understand our meaning by gliding through among the bushes, and appearing at the top of a hill farther off, where they conti nued hooping and crying, and making divers signs, which we could not, neither did we endeavour to understand. My message sent to them was, that if they showed the smallest appearance of further insolence, either by approaching the tent or slinging stones that night, the next morning, when the horse I expected were come up, I would burn their town and put every man of them to the sword. A very submissive answer was sent back, with a heap of lies in excuse of what they called their mistake. My two servants coming soon after, both of whom, hereafter, were to be in the service of Ayto Confu, went boldly one to each village to bring two goats, some jars of bouza, and to prepare fifty loaves of bread for next morning. The goats were despatched instantly, so was the bouza; but when the morning came, the people had all fled from their houses without preparing any bread. These villages were called Gimbaar.

In continuing our journey, we entered a thick wood winding round a hill, in a southeast direction, to get into the plain below, where we were surrounded by a great multitude of men armed with lances, shields, slings, and large clubs, or sticks, who rained a shower of stones towards us, as I may say, for they were at such a distance that all of them fell greatly short of us. I, therefore, ordered two shots to be fired over This was the only extraorditheir heads, not with any inten-nary incident which happened tion to hurt them, but to let them hear, by the balls whistling among the leaves of the trees, that our guns carried farther than any of their slings; and

on our way to Tcherkin. I was met by a servant of Ayto Confu, who proposed that I should set out with him alone the next morning for Tcherkin, where I