THE SOURCE OF t'HE NILE. 405 



The king was perfedly advifed of all that pafTed. As he 

 faw that the patriarch endeavoured to gain time, and knew 

 the reafon of it; and, as the fathers among them had a con- 

 fiderable quantity of fire-arms, he fent an officer to the patri- 

 arch at Fremona, commanding him to deliver up the whole 

 of thefe, with gun-powder and other ammunition, and to 

 prepare,' at the fame time, to fet out for Mafuah. This at 

 firft the patriarch refufed to do. Nor did Facilidas punifli 

 this difobedience by any harfher method than convincing 

 him mildly of the imprudence and inutility of fuch refu- 

 fal, and the bad confequences to themfelves. Upon which 

 the patriarch at laft furrendered the articles required to the 

 officer fent by the king, but he refolved veiy differently as to 

 the other injunction of carrying all his brethren to Mafuah. 

 On the contrary, he determined by every means to fcattcr 

 them about the kingdom of Abyffinia, and leave them 

 behind if he was forced to embark at Mafuah, which he, 

 however, refolved to avoid and refill to the utmotl ot his 

 power. 



In order to do this, it was refolved that he fliould folicit 

 the Baharnagafh (John Akay, then in rebellion) to take them 

 under his proteftion, and for that pui-pofe to fend a num- 

 ber of armed men, on a night appointed, to meet them near 

 Fremona, and carry them in fafety from any purfuit of the 

 governor of Tigre. This projea, extraordinary as it was, fuc- 

 ceeded. Akay promifed them his proteaion. The patriarch 

 and priefts, deceiving the guard the king had fet upon iliem, 

 efcaped in the night, and joined the foldiers of John Akay, 

 commanded by Tecla Emanuel, who was ready to receive 

 them: They took refuge at Addicota, the foldiers of the guard, 

 though alarmed, not daring to purfue them in the niglit, as 



not 



