THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 403 



his fovereign and nephew, refufed abfolutely to barter his 

 faith to obtain the greateft good, or avoid the greateft pu- 

 nifliment, it was in the power of the king to inflidl. Af- 

 ter repeated trials, all to no purpofe, the king, overcome 

 by the inftigation of his enemies, banifhed him to Anabra 

 in Shawada, a low, unwholefome diftrift amidft the moun- 

 tains of Samen. But hearing that he ftill kept correfpon- 

 dence with the Jefuits, and that their common refolution 

 was to folicit Portuguefe troops from India, and remember- 

 ing his former oath, he fent orders to his place of exile to 

 put him to death, and he was in confequcnce hanged upon 

 a. cedar-tree. 



Tellez, the Portuguefe hiftorian, in his colle<flion of 

 martyrs that died for the faith in Abyflinia, has defervedly 

 inferted the name of Sela Chriftos ; but profefTes that he is 

 , ignorant of the time of his death, and under what fpecies 

 of torment he fufFered. The only information that I can 

 give is what I have juft now written. It was in the begin- 

 ning of the year 1634 he was carried to Shawada in chains, 

 and confined upon the mountain Anabra ; but no mention 

 is made of any other hardfhip being put upon him than his 

 being in irons, nor is more ufual in that kind of banifli- 

 ment. It was at the end of that year, however, that he was 

 executed in the manner above mentioned, being fufpeded 

 of having correfponded with the patriarch and Jefuits, and 

 afterwards of inciting his nephew Claudius to rebel, as, it 

 appears, he had meditated long before, and actually did very 

 foon after. 



The 9th of March 1633, the king ordered the patriarch to 

 leave Dancaz, and, with the reft of the fathers, to proceed im- 



3 E 2 mediately 



