THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 411 



and thereupon, on their arrival at Suakem, their heads were 

 cut off by his order ; the fkins of their heads and faces ftrip- 

 ped off and fcnt to the king of Abyffinia, that, by their co 

 lour, he might know them to be franks, and by their ton- 

 fure to be priefts. Nor was it poffible afterwards to intro- 

 duce any CathoHc miffionaries, either during this or the 

 following reign, 



Facilidas having thus provided againft being further 

 difturbed by miffionaries, and having reduced all his fub- 

 jecfts to the obedience of the Alexandrian church, fent again 

 meffengers to bring an Abuna from Cairo, while he took 

 the field againft Melca Cliriftos his rival, who continued in 

 arms at the head of the peafants of Lafta, though there was 

 now no longer any pretence that the Alexandrian faith 

 was in danger. Both armies met in Libo, a country of 

 the Galla, where a panic feized the king's troops, his horfe 

 flying at the firft onfet. The royal army being entirely dif- 

 'perfed, Melca Chrillos purfued his good fortune, and enter- 

 ed the king's palace, took poffeffion of the throne, and was 

 crowned ; he appointed to all the great places in govern- 

 ment, and dillributed a largcfs, or bounty, to his foldiers. 



The Portugucfe hiftorians fay, that this happened at 

 Dancaz, not at Libo. But they fhould have remembered 

 ■what they before have faid, that an epidemic fever raged 

 an all Dcmbea, fo that the king was not at Dancaz that year. 

 Jie paffed the winter of the preceding one at Dobit, near 

 Begemder. 



The memoirs of thefe miffionaries, even when they were 

 in the country, are to be read with great caution, being 



3 F 2 f^l^ 



