THE SOURC^E OT THE NILE. 20(f 



SaxMur Bafha was a man of capacity and temper ; he had 

 been in poflellion of Mafuah ever fince the year 1558. He 

 faw his own evident intereft in the meafure, and appeared 

 f^iU as forward as the Baharnagafli to complete it. Ifaac ce- 

 ded Dobarwa to the bafha, and put him into immediate pof- 

 fellion of it, and all the low country between that andMafuah. 

 By this acquifirion, the Turks, before mailers of the fea-coaft, 

 became pofTefTed of the whole of the flat country correfpon- 

 ding thereto, as far as the mountains. Dobarwa is a large 

 trading town, fituatcd in a country abounding with provi- 

 fions of all kinds which Mafuah wanted, and it was the key 

 of the province of Tigrc and the high land of Abyilinia. 



Menas, at his acceflion, had received kindly the compli- 

 ments of congratulation made by the Portugucle patriarcli, 

 Oviedo. But hearing that he ilill continued to preach, and 

 tliat the eflecSl of this was frequent divifions and animo- 

 fities among the people, he called him into his prefcncc, 

 and ftri(5tly commanded him to deflfl, which the patriarch 

 pofitively refufing, the king loH all patience, and fell vio- 

 Icnriy upon him, beating him without mercy, tearing his 

 clothes and beard, and taking his chalice from him, that he 

 might prevent him from faying mafs. He then baniflicd 

 him to a dcfcrt mountain, together with Irancis Lopez, 

 where for fcvcn months he endured all mamier of hard- 

 .ihips. 



The king, in the mean time, publiflied many rigorous 

 proclamations againll: the Portugucfe. He would not per- 

 mit them to marry with Abylhnians. Thofe that we're 

 already married he forbade to go to the Catholic churches 

 with 'their hufbands ; and, having again called the patriarch 

 Vol. II. D d into 



