572 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Fafil, then in the mountain of Wechne, as a means of quiet* 

 ing the minds of his friends, preventing bloodlhed, and fe- 

 cuiung the crown to his family. 



OusTAS did the utmoft to command himfelf upon this oc- 

 eafion, and to give them an anfwer fuch as fuited a man in 

 health who hoped to live many years. But it was now too 

 late to play fnch apart ; and, infpite of his utmoftdiflimu- 

 lation, evident figns of decay appeared upon him, which 

 his vifxtors conjedlured would foon be paft diflembling,. 

 and they agreed to flay with the king till the evening. 



But the foldiers on guard, who heard the propofal of 

 fending for Oullas's fon, and who really believed that thefe 

 men fpoke from their heart, and were in earneft, were vio- 

 lently difcontented and angry at this propofal. They began 

 to he weary of novelty, and longed, for a king of the an- 

 cient royal family. As foon, therefore, as it was dark they 

 entered Gondar, and called together the fcveral regiments^ 

 or bodies of foldiers, which compofed the king's houfe- 

 hold. Having came to a refolution how they were to acfl:, 

 they returned to their quarters where they were upon 

 guard, and meeting the great officers coaiing out of Ouf- 

 tas's tent, where they, too, had probably agreed upon the 

 fame meafiire, though it was not known, the foldiers drew 

 their fwords, and flew them all, being feven in number. A- 

 mong thefe were Betwudet Tamerte, and the Acab Saat ;- 

 the one the principal lay-officer, the other tlie chief eccle- 

 fiaflic in the king's houfe. 



This maffacrc fecmed to be the fignalfora general in*- 

 jf^rrcdion, in the courfc of whicli, part of the town wa« 



fee 



