THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 271 



not pofHble to fuffer the deformity to appear ; for which rea- 

 fon,as he faid, but, as it appeared afterwards, to conceal the 

 little refemblance he bore to Jacob, he wrapped about his 

 head the corner of his upper cloth, and fo concealed one 

 fide of his face entirely. 



All Tigre haftened to join this impoftor as their true 

 fovereign ; who, finding himfelf now at the head of an ar> 

 mv, came down from the mountains of Bifan, and encamp- 

 ed in tlie neighbourhood of Dobarwa upon the Mareb, 

 where he had a new acceflion of ilrength. 



The fhape of the crown in Abyflinia is that of the hood» 

 or capa, which the priefls wear when facing mafs. It is 

 compofed of fdvcr, fometimes of gold, fometimes of both 

 metals, mixed and lined with blue fdk. It is made to cover 

 part of the forehead, both checks, and the hind-part of the 

 neck likewife to the joining of the flioulders. A crown of 

 this (hape could not but be of great fervice in hiding the 

 terrible fears with which the impoftor's face was fuppofed 

 to be deformed. He had accordingly got one made at Ma- 

 fuah, beat very thin out of a few ounces of gold which he 

 had taken from a caravan that he had robbed. He wore it 

 Gonftantly upon his head as a token that he was not a can- 

 didate for the crown, but real fovereign, who had worn that 

 mark of power from his infancy. 



The news of this impoflor, with the ufual exaggeration 

 of followers, foon came to Sela Chriftos, governor of Tigre, 

 who, feeing that the affair became more ferious every day, 

 refolved to attempt to check it. He conceived, however, he 

 had little trufl to put in the troops of his province, who all 



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