6oo TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



While BacufFa was on his concealed journey to Kuara, a 

 very dangerous confpiracy was forming at Gondar, under 

 the immediate condu6t of Ozoro Welleta Raphael, the king's 

 fifter, a very ambitious woman, and of an unquiet, enter- 

 prifmg temper. Difgufted by her brother's refufal of a gift 

 of fome crown lands which were then vacant, and without 

 any owners, flie thought no vengeance adequate to the af- 

 front, but dethroning Bacuffa. With this view fhe enga- 

 ged feveral men of power in her intereft, and particularly 

 the black fervants of the palace who attend immediately 

 upon the king's perfon, and were to feize upon, or deftroy 

 him, the moment he returned. This plot, in all its parti- 

 culars, was conveyed to the king. 



There was an old, abandoned houfe of king Yafous, at 

 ■Bartcho, about a day's journey fouth of Gondar ; it Hands 

 .on a very extenfive plain. The king intending, as he faid, 

 ■to repair, or rather clean and pre pare this houfe for his im- 

 inediate reception, ordered all the black flaves from Gondar 

 thither for that purpofe, together with fome of their ring- 

 leaders. Kafmati Waragna, in the mean time, was ordered to 

 bring a thoufand horfemen of his Galla Djawi. He arrived 

 at Bartcho nearly at the fame time with the black fervants, 

 'who being unarmed, as fufpec^ing nothing,and on foot, after 

 a fharp reproof from the king, were all furrounded ar^d cut 

 ■to pieces by the hands of Waragna, and orders were imme- 

 diately fent to Gondar to extirpate the remainder there ; and 

 •this execution laid a foundation for a feud that endures 

 to this day between the Galla troops and the black horfe, 

 who were then abolifhed, as the Galla have been fince, 

 .though both were part of the king's houfehold formerly, 

 •bcforc David's or Bacuffa's time. As for WcUeta Raphael, 



flie 



