mountain Samayat, where his gold was surrendered, which word signifies heaven. The king, who liked this kind of jests, of which Michael was full, on hearing this, sent him a gold cup, with a note written and placed within it; "Happy are they, who place their riches in heaven!" which Michael directed immediately to be engraved by one of the Greeks upon the cup itself. What became of it I know not; I often wished to have found it out, and purchased it. I saw it the first day he dined, after coming from council, at his return from Tigre, after the execution of Abba Salama; but I never observed it at Serbraxos, nor since. I heard, indeed, a Greek say, he had sent it by Ozoro Esther, as a present to a church of St Michael in Tigre.

Enderta was now given him in addition to the province of Tigre, and soon after Sire, and all the provinces between the Tacazze and the Red Sea; so he was now master of near half of Abyssinia..

The rest of this king's reign was spent at home in his usual amusements and occupations. Several small expeditions were made by his command, under Palambaras Selasse, and other officers, to harass the Shepherds, whom he conquered almost down to Suakem. His ravages, however, had been confined to the peninsula of Atbara, and had never passed to the eastward of the Tacazze; but he had impoverished all that country. After this, by his orders, the Baharnagash, and other officers, entered that division called Derkin, between the Mareb and the Atbara, and still farther, between the Mareb and the mountains, in a part of it, called Ajam. In this country Hassine Wed Ageeb was defeated by the Baharnagash with great slaughter; and the Shekh of Jibbel Musa, one of the most powerful of the Shepherds, was taken prisoner by Palambaras Selasse, without resistance, and car

ried, with his wife, his family, and cattle, in triumph to Gondar, where, having sworn allegiance to the king, he was kindly treated, and sent home with presents, and every thing that had been taken from him.

This year, being the 24th of Yasous's reign, he was taken ill, and died on the 21st day of June, 1753, after a very short illness. As he was but a young man, and of a strong constitution, there was some suspicion he died by poison, given him by the queen's relations, who were desirous to secure another minority rather than serve under a king, who, by every action, shewed he was no longer to be led, or governed, by any, but least of all by them.

Yasous was married very young to a lady of noble family in Amhara, by whom he had two sons, Adigo and Aylo: But their mother, pretending to a share of her husband's government, and to introduce her friends at court, so hurt Welleta Georgis, the Iteghe, or queen-regent, that she prevailed on the king to banish both the mother and sons to the mountain of Wechne.

In order to prevent such interference for the future, the Iteghe took a step, the like of which had never before been attempted in Abyssinia. It was to bring a wife to Yasous from a race of Galla. Her name was Wobit, daughter of Amitzo, to whom Bacuffa had once fled when he escaped from the mountain before he was king, and had been kindly entertained there. Her family was of the tribe of Edjow, and the division of Toluma, that is, of the southern Galla upon the frontiers of Amhara. They were esteemed the politest, that is, the least barbarous, of the name. But it was no matter, they were Galla, and that was enough. Between them and Abyssinia, oceans of blood had been shed, and strong prejudices imbibed

against them, never to be effaced by marriages. She was, however, brought to Gondar, christened by the name of Betsabee, and married to Yasous: By her he had a son, named Joas, who succeeded his father.

1

JOAS.

From 1753 to 1769.

This Prince, a favourer of the Galla, his relations Great dissensions on bringing them to court-War of Begemder-Ras Michael brought to Gondar-Defeats Ayto Mariam Barea-Refuses to be accessary to his Death-King favours Waragna Fasil-Battle of Azazo-King assassinated in his palace.

U PON

PON the first news of the death of Yasous, the old officers and servants of the crown, remembering the tumults and confusion that happened in Gondar at his accession, repaired to the palace from their different governments, each with a small well-regulated body of troops, sufficient to keep order, and strengthen the hands of Ras Welled de l'Oul, whom they all considered as the father of his country. The first who arrived was Waragna Kasmati of Damot, then Ayo of Begemder; and, very soon after, though from much the greatest distance, Suhul Michael, governor of Tigre. These three entered the palace, with Welled de l'Oul at their head, received the young king, Joas, from the hands of the Iteghe, his grandmother, and proclaimed him, with the usual formalities, without any opposition or tumult whatever.

A number of promotions immediately followed but, it was observed with great discontent by many,

that the Iteghe's family and relations were grown so numerous, that they were sufficient to occupy all the great offices of state without the participation of any of the old families, which were the strength of the crown in former reigns; and that no preferment was now to be expected unless through some relation to the queen-mother.

Welled Hawaryat, son to Michael, governor of Tigre, had married Ozoro Altash, the queen's third daughter, almost a child; and long before that, Netcho of Tcherkin had married Ozoro Esther, likewise very young. Ras Michael, old as he was, had made known his pretensions to Ozoro Welletta Israel, the queen's second daughter, immediately younger than Ozoro Esther. These proposals, from an old mân, had been received with great contempt and derision by Welleta Israel, and she persevered so long in the derision of Michael's courtship, that it left strong impressions on the hard heart of that old warrior, which shewed themselves after in very disagreeable consequences to that lady all the time Michael was in power.

The first that broke the peace of the new reign was Nanna Georgis, chief of one of the clans of the Agows of Damot. Engaged in old feuds with the Galla on the other side of the Nile, the natural enemies of his country, he could not see, but with great displeasure, a Galla, such as Kasmati Waragna, however worthy, governor of Damot, and capable, therefore, of over-running the whole province in a moment, by calling his Pagan countrymen from the other side.

Waragna, though this was in his power, knew the measure was unpopular. Kasmati Eshte was the queen's brother, and governor of Ibaba, a royal residence, which has a large territory and salary annexed to it. When, therefore, at council, he had complained of the injury done to him by Nanna Georgis, he