482 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



family were a lion like his ; but, however creditable his ma- 

 jefty's apprehenfions as to Abyflinia might be to me, I could 

 venture to affure him, the only connections I had the honour 

 ever to have had with him, were by the heirs-female. 



At other times, when I was exceedingly low-fpirited, 

 and defpairing of ever again feeing Britain, he, who well 

 knew the caufe, ufed to fay to the Serach MafTery, " Prepare 

 " the Sendick and Nagareet ; let the judges be called, and 

 ** the houfehold troops appear under arms, for Brus is to be 

 " buried : he is an Ozoro of the line of Solomon, and, for 

 " any thing I know, may be heir to the crown. Bring like- 

 " wife plenty of brandy, for they all get drunk at burials in 

 " his country." Thefe were days of fun-fhine, when fuch 

 jefts palTed ; there were cloudy ones enough that followed, 

 which much more than compenfated the very tranfitory 

 enjoyment of thefe. 



Although the years laid down in the book of Axum do 

 not precifely agree with our account, yet they are fo near, 

 that we cannot doubt that the revolt of the ten tribes, and 

 deftruction of Rehoboam's fleet which followed, occafioned 

 the removal of Menilek's capital to Tigre*. But, whatever 

 was the caufe, Menilek did remove his court from Azab to 

 a place near Axum, at this day called Adega Daid, the Houfe 

 of David ; and, at no great diftance, is another called Azabo, 

 from his ancient metropolis, where there are old remains 



of 



* The temple which the Queen of Saba had feen built, and fo richly ornamented, was plun- 

 dered the 5th year of Rehoboam, by Sefac, which is 13 years before Menilek died. So thk 

 Qould not but have difgufted him with the trade of his ancient habitation at Sab2. 



