THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 573. 



fet on fire. But the foldicrs, at their firft meeting in tlie 

 palace *, had ihut up the coronation- chamber, and the other 

 royal apartments, and polTelTed themfclves of the kettle- 

 drum by which all proclamations were made at the gate, 

 driving away, and rudely treating the multitude on every 

 fide. At laft they brought out the drum, though it was yet 

 night, and made this proclamation : — " David, fon of our 

 late king Yafous, is our king." The tumult and diforder,. 

 neverthelefs, ftill continued ; during all which, it was very 

 remarkable no one ever thought of offering an injury to 

 Ouftas. 



While thefe things were pafling at Gondar, a violent 

 a:larm had feized all the princes upon the mountain- of 

 Wechne. They had been treated with feverity during Guftas's 

 whole reign. Their revenues had been with-held, or at lead 

 not regularly paid, and they had been reduced nearly tO' 

 perifli for want of the neceOaries of life. When, tlierefore, 

 the accounts of Ouftas's illncfs arrived, and that the princi- 

 pal 



* There feems Iiere fome contradicflion which needs explanation. It is faiJ that the palace 

 was burnt before Ouftas went to his tent. How then could the foldiers affcmble in it 

 afterwards ? The palace confifts of a number of feparate houfes at no great diflance, but de- 

 tached from one another with one room in each. That where the coronation is performed 

 is called Anbafa Bet ; another, where the king fits in feftivak, is called -Zeffan Bet ; another 

 is called Werk Sacala, the gold-houfel; another Gimja Bet, or the brocade-lioufe, where the war- 

 drobe and the gold RuKs ufed for prefents, or received.as fuch..are laid. N5w, we fuppofe Ojjftas- 

 in any one of thefe apartments, fay Zeffan Bet, which he left to go to his tent, and it was then; 

 burnt ; flill there remained the coronation-houfe where the regalia was kept, which the fol- 

 diers locked up that it might not be ufcd to crown Fafil, Ouftac's fon, whom they thought. 

 the Civen great- men they had murdered coofpired to p!;'.ce upon the tVio.ne after .'lisiaiher. . 



