THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 167 



Ammer, the king s mortal enemy, who had taken upon, 

 llimfelf the deftruaion of the royal Family, dclcended into 

 the province of Sire, and neighbourhood of Tabor, and there 

 indulged himfelf in the moft wanton cruelties, torturing 

 and murdering the priefts, burning churches and villages, 

 hoping by this the king would, lofe his temper, and leave 

 his llrong-hold in the mountain. But hearing at tlie fame 

 time, that a large quantity of plate, and other treafure, be- 

 longing to the church Debra Kerbe, had been carried into 

 an ifland in the lake Tzana for iafety, he left the king, and 

 feized his booty in the lake to a very great amount.. 



However, he there fell ill of a, fever; but, on his return, 

 -was fo far advanced in his recovery as to refume his fchemes 

 of deftroying the king ; when, the night of the loth of Fe- 

 ruary 1538, while he was lleeping in bed in his tent, a com- 

 mon foldier, from what quarrel or caufe is not known, 

 went fecretly and flabbed him feveral times in the belly 

 with a two-edged knife, fo that he died inftantly, to David's 

 great relief, and much to the fafety of the whole kingdom. 



It was now 12 years fmce Don Roderigo de Lima had 

 failed from Mafuah, carrying with him Zaga Zaab ambaf- 

 fador from the king of Abyllinia. This embafly arrived 

 fafe in Lilbon, and Wxis received with great magnificence 

 by king John; but, as the circumaances of the kingdom 

 when he left Mafuah were really flom-idiing,. and as the 

 treatment he met in Portugal was better than he had, pro- 

 bably, ever experienced at home, he feems to have been in 

 no haile to put an end to this embafly. On the other fide, 

 the king of Portugal's affau-s in India were arrived at that 

 2' degree 



