^540 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and bring him to Gondar, his capital : A backwardnefS 

 was vifible in the behaviour of each of them, becaufe in 

 each one's breaft the fear was the fame. 



In fo uncommon a conjun<5lure and difpofition of men's 

 minds, a fubjedt had the ambition and boldnefs to offer 

 himfelf for king, and he was accordingly elected. This 

 was Ouftas *, fon of Delba Yafous, by a daughter of the late 

 king of that name ; and Abyffmia now faw, for the fecond 

 time, a llranger feated on the throne of Solomon. Ouftas 

 was a man of undifputed merit, and had filled the greateft 

 offices in the ftate. He had been Badjerund, or mafter of 

 the houfehold, to the late king Yafous. Tecla Haimanout, 

 who fucceeded, had made him governor of Samen ; and 

 though, in the next reign, he had fallen into difgrace with 

 Theophilus, this ferved but to aggrandize him more, as he 

 was very foon after reftored to favour, and by this very 

 prince raifed to the dignity of Ras, the firll place under the 

 king, and invefted at once with the government of two 

 provinces, Samen and Tigre. He was, at the death of The- 

 ophilus, the greateft fubje^St in Abyfliiiia ; one ftep higher 

 fet him on the throne, and the circumftances of the time 

 invited him to take it. He had every quality of body and 

 mind requifite for a king ; biu the conftitution of his 

 country had made it unlawful for him to reign. He took,, 

 upon his inauguration, the name of Tzai Segued. 



OusTAs, though a new king, followed the cuftoms of the 

 ancient monarchs of Abyffmia ; for that very rcafon was 



imwilhng 



• It figniCes juflus, 



