MISCELLANIES. 
tinguished bravery having been 
“made choice of for the purpose, 
he went down into the plain to 
meet them, and killed both with 
his own hand ; possessing, not- 
withstanding his small and deli- 
cate form, such peculiar skill in 
the management of two spears on 
horseback, that it was said in the 
country to be unequalled. This 
unexampled exploit raised his cha- 
racter as a warrior to the highest 
pitch ; and the particulars of the 
combat still continue to form a 
favourite topic of conversation 
among his followers. 
On the succession of Degusimati 
Gabriel to the command of the 
province of Tigré, Welled Selassé 
was induced by many insidious 
promises held out to him, to re- 
turn to Adowa, where, in spite of 
the most solemn protestations to 
the contrary, he was thrown into 
irons. The day on which this 
occurrence took place, he has 
since, with a sort of religious su- 
perstition, considered as the most 
unfortunate in his life. He did 
not, however, long remain in con- 
finement ; for by the connivance 
of his keeper, Gueta Samuel, he 
shortly after made his escape and 
retired to the country of the Gal- 
la, who, on this occasion, received 
him with open arms, 
The death of Dejus Gabriel 
soon followed, when he returned 
once again to Enderta, and being 
joined by some of his friends, 
made himself master of that pro- 
vince, and in the following year 
entered Tigré ; where, having in 
several battles overcome Guebra 
Mascal, he raised himself to the 
high situation of Governor of all 
the provinces eastward of the Ta- 
cazze. Once possessed of this 
531 
high power, he successively es- 
poused the claims of Ayto Solo- 
mon, the son of Tecla Haimont 
and of Tecla Georgis, his brother, 
whom, in spite of the combined 
forces of the chiefs of Amhara, he 
carried to Gondor and placed onthe 
throne, being in return confirmed 
by both these Emperors in the 
high posts of Ras and Betwudet 
of the empire, which last office 
appears to be somewhat analogous 
to that which Pharaoh conferred 
upon Joseph, when he set him 
‘* over his house.” 
These respective monarchs, 
however, not being long able to 
retain the sovereignty (as I have 
related more particularly in my 
former journal), the crown fell, 
according to the preponderance 
of the different provinces, into 
other hands, until it was at length 
agreed by Ras Welled Selassé and 
Guxo, Governor of Gojam, (who 
succeeded to the power of Fasil) 
that Ayto Egwala Sion, son of 
Ischias, should be placed on the 
throne. Some religious disputes 
having subsequently arisen be- 
tween these powerful chieftains, 
it had occasioned a_ rupture, 
which, since my return, has again 
thrown the country into a civil 
war, the Emperor, in the mean 
time, remaining neglected at 
Gondor, with a very small retinue 
of servants, and an income by no 
means adequate to the support of 
his dignity; so that, as he pos- 
sesses neither wealth, power, nor 
influence in the state, royalty 
may be considered for a time, 
almost eclipsed in the country. 
The duties of the Ras’s situa- 
tion, who may be regarded as an 
independent ruler, are extremely 
arduous, some notion of whic 
2M 2 
