THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 619 



ver Kahha, below the town. After holding council in the 

 king's houfe which is there, they rciblved to proclaim 

 one of the princes upon the mountain Wechne, named He- 

 zekias, king. For this purpofe, furnifhcd with a kettle- 

 drum, they marched in three divifions, by three different 

 ways, to the palace, avowedly with an intention to force 

 the gates and murder the king and queen. But Fit-Auraris 

 Ephraim, having intelligence of this tumult, firll fhut up 

 and obftrud:ed ail the entrances to the king's houfe, then 

 gave advice to Billetana Gueta, Welled de I'Oul, of the re- 

 bellion of Tenfa Mammo, their defign to murder the king, 

 and their having proclaimed Hezekias. 



These immediately repaired to the king's houfe to take 

 council together what was to be done, and to defend the 

 place if it was necelTary. The rebels were now drawn up, 

 and were beating their kettle-drum to make their proclama- 

 tion," Hezekias was king !" while Shalaka Tchinfho,ayoung 

 nobleman of great hopes, who commanded the troops in 

 the court where was the outer gate, impatient to hear an u- 

 furper proclaimed in the very face of his fovereign, directed 

 the outer-court gate to be opened, and, with two bodies of 

 Galla, Djawi and Toluma, and feveral corps of lances, which 

 compofc the king's houfehold, however inferior in num- 

 ber, he rufhed upon the rebels fo fuddenly, that they were 

 foon obliged to thinkof other occupation. 



The firll that fell was Afaleffi Lenfa, who flood by the 

 drum, and was flain by Shalaka Tchinfho with his own 

 hand; his drum taken and fent to the king as the firll 

 fruits of the day. The foldiers, encouraged by the example 

 of their leader, fell fiercely upon the rebels, difperfed and 



4^2 broke 



