THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 75 



with his family, endeavouring, if poflible, to reach Aclel ; 

 and having come the length of Bawa Amba, a high moun- 

 tain, where is one of the narroweil and moft difficult palTes 

 between the high country and the Kolla, here he ftrowed 

 about, in different places, all the riches that he had brought 

 along with him, in hopes that his purfuers, wearied by the 

 time they came there, fliould, by the difficulty of the ground, 

 and the booty ever)'where to be found, be induced to pro- 

 ceed no further. But this llratagem did not fucceed ; for 

 he was fo clofely followed that he was overtaken and flain, 

 his head, hands, and feet were cut off, and immediately lent 

 to the king", who, after public rejoicings, gave the govern- 

 ment of Gadai to the pcrfon who firfl informed him of Mi- 

 hico's confpiracy, and confirmed the governor of Bomo in 

 the province of Hadea likewife, wliich he made hereditary 

 in his family, hi order alfo to be more in readinefs to fup- 

 prefs fuch infurredtions for the future, he gave his Chri- 

 ftian foldiers lands adjacent to each other, forming a line 

 all along the frontiers of the Mahometan provinces of Ba- 

 li, Fatigar, Wadgc, and Hadea, tliat they might be ready 

 at an inilant to fupprcfs any tumult in the provinces thcm- 

 felvcs, or refill any incurfions from the kingdom of Adel. 



The king now fet about fuUllling another duty of liis 

 reign, that of repairing the fcveral churches in Abyflinia 

 which had been defl:ro)-ed in the late war by the Mahome- 

 tans, and of building new ones, whicii it is their confiant 

 cuftom to vow and to ere^l where vi^flories had been ob- 

 tained over an infidel enemy. While thus employed, news 

 were fcnt him from tlic patriarch of Alexandria, that the 

 church of the Virgin liad been dellroycd at that city by 

 fire. Full, therefore, of grief for this misfortune, he imme- 



K 2 diately 



