28o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



his fword, cuts the filk cord afunder. Immediately upon 

 this the young women cry, " It is a truth, you are our king; 

 " truly you are the king of Sion.'* Upon which they begin 

 to fmg Hallelujah, and in this they are joined by the court 

 and army upon the plain ; fire-arms are difcharged, drums 

 and trumpets found ; and the king, amidft thefe acclama- 

 tions and rejoicings, advances to the foot of the flair of the 

 church, where he difmounts, and there fits down upon a 

 Hone, which, by its remains, apparently was an altar of Anu- 

 bis, or the dog-liar : At his feet there is a large flab of free- 

 flone, on which is the infcription mentioned by Poncet, and 

 which Ihall be quoted hereafter, when I come to fpeak of 

 the ruins of Axum. 



After the king comes the nebrit, or keeper of the book 

 of the law in Axum, fuppofed to reprefent Azarias the fon 

 of Zadock ; then the twelve mnbares, or fupreme judges, 

 who with Azarias accompanied Menilek, the fon of Solo- 

 mon, when he brought the book of the law from Jerufalem, 

 and thefe are fuppofed to reprefent the twelve tribes. After 

 thefe follow the Abuna at the head of the pricfls, and the 

 Itcheguc at the head of the monks ; then the court, who 

 all pais through the aperture made by the divifion of the 

 filk cord, which remains ftill upon the ground. 



The king is firft anointed, then crowned, and is accom- 

 panied half up the fteps by the finging priefts, called Dep- 

 teras, chanting pfalms and hymns. Here he flops at a hole 

 made for the purpofe in one of the fieps, and is there fu- 

 migated with inccnfc and myrrh, aloes and caffia. Divine 

 fervicc is then celebrated; and, after receiving the facrament, 

 he returns to the camp, where fourteen days fliould rcgu- 



larlv 



