THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. aSt 



larly be fpent in feafting, and all manner of rejoicing and 

 military exercife. 



The king is, by the old cuftom, obliged to give a 

 number of prefents, the particulars of which are ftated 

 in the deftar, or treafury-book, the value, the perfon to 

 whom they are due, and the time of giving ; but a great 

 part of thefe are gone into defuetude fince the removal of 

 the court from Tigre, as alfo many of the offices are now 

 fupprefled, and with them the prefents due to them. 



The nobles and the court were likewife obliged to give 

 prefents to the king upon that occafion. The prcfent from 

 the governor of Axum is two lions and a fillet of filk, up- 

 on which is wrote, " Mo Anbafa am Ni^ilet Solomoii am Negade 

 « jude — The lion of the tribe of Judah and race of Solomon 

 " hath overcome ;" this ferves as a form of inveftiture of 

 lands that the king grants, a ribband bearing this infcrip- 

 tion being tied round the head of the perfon to whom the 

 lands are given. 



This governor was then in rebellion, fo did not alTifl at 

 the ceremony. Notwithftanding the difl'erence of expencc 

 which I have mentioned, by fupprefling places, prefents, and 

 dues, the king Tecla Haimanout told me at Gondar, that 

 when he was in Tigre, driven there by the late rebellion, 

 Ras Michael had fome thoughts of having him crowned 

 there in contempt of his enemies ; but, by the moft mo- 

 derate calculation that could be made, not to turn the cere- 

 mony into ridicule by parlimony, it would have coft 

 20,000 ounces of gold, or L. 50,000 Sterling; upon which 

 he laid afide the thoughts of it, faying to the king, " Sir, 



Vol. II. Nn truft 



