THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 255: 



made a virtue of neceffity : he difpatchcd an ambaflador to 

 acknowledge Socinios as his fovereign, and declare that he 

 was ready to fwear allegiance to him. Socinios received 

 this embalTy with great apparent complacency. He fent in 

 return a monk, in whom he confided, a perfon of great 

 worth and dignity, to be his reprefentative, and receive the. 

 homage of Za Selafle and his army. On the news of this 

 monk's approach, Za SelalTe fent on his part ten men, the 

 moft refpe(5fable in his camp, to meet this reprefentative of 

 the king, and conducff him into the camp, where Za SalefTe, 

 and all his troops, did homage, and fwore allegiance to So- 

 cinios. Feafts and prefents were now given in the camp^ 

 as is ufual at the acceffion of a new king to the throne, and 

 all the army abandoned thcmfelves to joy. 



These good tidings were immediately communicated 

 both to Socinios and Ras Athanafius. But, in the midft of 

 this rejoicing, a meflenger came from Jacob, informing Za 

 Selafle that he was then in Dembea ; that he had conferred 

 upon him the title of Ras and Betwudet, that is, had made 

 him the king's lieutenant-general throughout tlie whole 

 empire. Za Selaffe, in poffeflion of the height of his wifhes, 

 and making an ample diflribution among his troops, deter-r 

 mined immediately to march and join Jacob in Dembea ; but 

 firft he wrote privately to the ten men that had accompa- 

 nied the monk. to Socinios, that they fliould withdraw them* 

 felves as fuddenly and privately as pollible before the co- 

 ming of Jacob was known. Eight of thefe were lucky e- 

 nough to do fo ; two of them were overtaken in the flight 

 and brought back to Socinios, who ordered them to imme- 

 diate executioru . 



Ras 



