fuch to fuch a period, where all the months and days are comprehended, when we come to affign to each of these an equal number of years, without the correfpondent months and days, it is plain that, when all these separate reigns come to be added together, the one fum-total will not agree with the other, but will be more or less than the just time which that prince reigned. This, indeed, as errors compensate full as frequently as they accumulate, will feldom amount to a difference above three years, a space of time too trivial to be of any consequence in the history of barbarious nations,

M&

TRAVELS

TRAVELS

TO DISCOVER THE

SOURCE OF THE NILE.

BOOK VI.

FIRST ATTEMPT TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, FRUSTRATED: A SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY THITHER,. WITH A FULL ACCOUNT OF EVERY THING RE

Ο

LATING TO THAT CELEBRATED RIVER.

66

NE day, when Mr. Bruce was at court, he met Tecla Mariam, the King's Secretary, who, taking him by the haud, faid, with a laughing countenance, Oh ho, I wish you joy; this is like a man ; you are now no stranger but one of us; why was not you at court?" Mr. Bruce said he had no particu lar business there, but that he came thither to fee Ayto Confu, that he might speak in favour of Yafine to get him appointed deputy of Ras el Feel, "Why don't you appoint him yourfelf? (fays he) what has Confu to do with the affair now? You don't intend always to be in leading strings? You may thank the king for yourself, but I would never advise you to speak one word of Yafine to him; it is not the custom; you may, if you please, to Confu, he knows him already. His estate lies all around you, and he will enforce your orders, if there fhould be any need."

"Pardon me, Tecla Mariam, (faid Mr. Bruce) if I do not understand you. I came here to folicit for Yafine, that Confu or his fucceffor would appoint him their deputy, and you

Y

answer

anfwer that you advise me to appoint him myself." "And fo I do, (replied Tecla Mariam) who is to appoint him but you? You are governor of Ras el Feel; are you not?" Mr. Bruce ftood motionless with aftonishment. "It is no great affair, (said he) and I hope you will never see it. It is a hot, unwholesome country, full of Mahometans; but its gold is as good as any Christian gold whatever. I wish it had been Begemder with all my heart, but there is a good time coming."

Mr. Bruce, after having recovered himself a little from his furprise, went to Ayto Confu to kiss his hand as his fuperior, but this he would by no means fuffer him to do. A great dinner was provided them by the Iteghé; and Yafine being fent for, was appointed, clothed, that is invested, and ordered immediately to Ras el Feel to his government, to make peace with the Daveina, and bring all the horses he could get with him from thence, or from Atbara. The having thus provided for Yafine, and fecured, as he thought, a retreat to Sennaar for himself, gave him the first real pleasure that he had received fince his landing at Mafuah; and that day, feeing himself in company with all his friends, and the hopes of this country, for the first time fince his arrival in Abyffinia, he abandoned himself to joy.

His conftitution was, however, too much weakened to bear any excefles. The day after, when he went home to Emfras, he found himself attacked with a flow fever, and, thinking that it was the prelude of an ague, with which he was often tormented, he fell to taking bark, without any remission, or, where the remiffion was very obfcure, he fhut himself up in the house, upon his conftant regimen of boiled rice, with abundant draughts of cold water.

A commotion arofe about this time, at Gondar, on account of a religious difpute. Mr. Bruce was led to haften thither by hearing that his friend Tecla Mariam, and his daughter of the fame name, one of the most beautiful women in Abyffinia had both been taken ill. Soon after his arrival, he learned that the origin of the dispute and the quarrel which it occafioned, was a question concerning the fate of Nebuchadnez

zar

zar,-Whether he was now a Saint in Heaven, or burning in hell fire with Dathan and Aberam? He was at the fame time informed, that, however indifferent he might be about the matter in difpute, he would not be easily able to avoid declar- ing his sentiments, nor escape danger, whatever these might be. His friends, accordingly, infifted on attending him, to protect them in the streets; and Ayto Aylo and Ayto Heikel accompanied him to Tecla Mariam's. Neither that nobleman nor his daughter was very much indifpofed. Some other friends were with him, and the evening was accordingly passed in great feftivity.

Next day Mr. Bruce waited on the king. One of the first queftions his majefty put to him was, whether or not Nebuchadnezzar were a Saint? Mr. Bruce first declined to give his opinion; and when urged, declared against the monarch of Babylon. His majefly then produced to many reafons in Nebuchadnezzar's favour, that Mr. Bruce could no longer infift on his damnation. Tecla Mariam foon after came in ; and Mr. Bruce took the first opportunity of mentioning Nebuchadnezzar to him; and his friend, the fecretary's fentiments concerning the merits of that hero, were not more favourable or more fettled than his own, and that Ras Michael was about to take a very expeditious and efficacious method of terminating the difpute. A proclamation was soon after iffued, ordering the monks and other disorderly perfons, who had reforted to the city on this occafion, to be gone, and anouncing, that four hundred Galla were to patrole and fcour the streets at night, and that others were to watch and clear the roads. This put a speedy end to the concern for Nebuchadnezzar, and the impertinençes of the Monks.

At this time a piece of bad news was circulated at Gondar, that Kafmati Boro, whom the Ras had left governor at Damot, had been beaten by Fafil, and obliged to retire to his own country in Gojam, to Stadis Amba, near the paffage of the Nile, at Miné; and that Fafil, with a much larger army of Galla than that he had brought to Fagitta, had taken posesfion of Buré, the ufual place of his refidence. This being privately talked of as true, Mr. Bruce afked Kefla Yafous in confidence what he knew of it. Upon its being confirmed,

he

he could not disguise his forrow, as he was convinced that-unexpected turn of affairs would be an invincible obstacle to his reaching the fource of the Nile. “ You are mistaken, (fays Kefla Yafous) it is the best thing that could happen to you. Why you defire to see those places I do not know; but this I am fure of, you never will arrive there with any degree of fafety while Fafil commands. He is as perfect a Gallá as ever forded the Nile; he has neither word, nor oath, nor faith that can bind; he does mischief for mischief's fake, and then laughts at it."

After Fafil's defeat at Fagitta, and the affront he received at Affoa in the heart of his own country, he had continued his route to Buré, a diftrict of the Agows, where was his conftant refidence. After this he had croffed the Nile into the country of Bizamo, and Boro de Gago had taken up his refidence at Buré, when Michael returned to Gondar; but no fooner had he heard of his arrival in thofe parts, than he marched with a number of horse, and forced his rival to retire to Gojam.

A very obftinate battle was fought at Banja, in which the Agows were entirely defeated by Fafil, feven of their chiefs killed, all men of great confequence, among whom was Ayamico, a very near relation of the king. The news was first brought by a fon of Nanna Georgis, chief of the Agows, who escaped from the battle. Michael was at dinner, and Mr. Bruce was prefent. It was one of his caroufals for the mar riage of Powuffen, when young Georgis came into the room, in á torn and dirty habit, unattended, and almost unperceived, and presented himself at the foot of the table. Michael had then in his hand a cup of gold, it being the exclusive privilege of the governor of the province of Tigré to drink out of fuch a cup; it was full of wine; before a word was fpoken, and upon the first appearance of the man, he threw the cup and wine upon the ground, and cried out, "I am guilty of the death of these people." Every one arose, the table was removed, and Georgis told his misfortune, that Nanna Georgis, his father, Zeegam Georgis, the next in rank among them, Ayamico the king's relation, and four other

chiefs,