336 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Three days the army within the mountain held out 

 without comphiining; but, in the evening of the third day, 

 fome monks and hermits [Jjoly men^ the abettors of this re- 

 bel hon) came to Af Chriftos to remonilrate, that there were 

 feveral convents and villages in the mountain, alfo fmall 

 fprings, and barley enough to anfwer the neceflities of the 

 ordinary inhabitants, but were not enough for fuch an ad- 

 ditional number which had taken forcible poiTeffion of the 

 wells, and drank up all the water, to the immediate danger 

 of the whole inhabitants perifhing with thirft. 



To this Af Chriftos anfwered, That the reducing the 

 mountain, and the taking Emana Chriftos, was what was 

 given him in commiftion by the king, to attain which end 

 he would carefully improve all the means in his power. He 

 was forry, indeed, for the diftrefs of the convents in the 

 mountain, but could not help it ; nor would he fufFer one 

 of them to remove or come down into the plain, nor would 

 he difcontinue blockading the mountain while Emana 

 Chriftos was there and alive. No other alternative, there- 

 fore, remained but the delivering up Emana Chriftos. His 

 army would have fought for him againft a common enemy, 

 but againft thirft their (liields and fwords were ufelefs. 



Af Christos, with his prifoncr, forthwith proceeded to 

 join the king, and pafled the Nile into Begemder. At crof- 

 {xwg the river Baftiilo, they were informed of the defeat and 

 death of Julius and the Abuna. The meft!enger had alfo 

 letters for Em.ana Chriftos, whom the king did not know to 

 be yet prifoner : among thefe was one from Sela Chriftos, 

 in which he upbraided his brother with his unnatural trea- 

 fon, and affined him fpecdily of a fate like that of Julius. 



Emana 



