620 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



broke through them wherever they faw the greatefl mini- 

 ber together; a great llaughter was made, and Tenfa Mam- 

 mo, with difficulty, efcaped. The vidlory indeed would have 

 been complete, had not an accidental fhot from a diftance 

 wounded Shalaka Tchinfho mortally. His own people car- 

 ried him within the gate of the palace, where he gloriouf- 

 ly expired at the feet of his fovereign. 



The rebels, notwithflanding this check, increafed every 

 day in number and refolution, when the news arrived that 

 Waragna had compofed all the differences in Damot, Agow, 

 and Goutto, and, at the head of a numerous army, was 

 waiting the king's orders. This intelligence firft had the 

 effecfl to difconcert the rebels, who fuddenly left the capital 

 in their way to Wechne. 



The king, now mailer of Gondar, ordered a proclamav 

 tion to be mad,e for all perfons whatever holding fiefs of 

 the crown, as alfo all others, to alTemble before him on a 

 Ihort day, where the Itchegue and Abuna, holding the pic- 

 ture of our Saviour, with the crown of thorns *, up before 

 the people, did adminifler to them a folcmn oath, to live 

 and die with the king and Iteghe ; a feeble experiment, 

 often tried by a weak government. The only confequence 

 of this was prefent expence to the crown in a diftribu- 

 tion of beef, honey, butter, wheat, and all kinds of provi- 

 fions ; after which each man returned to his houfe, ready to 

 repeat the perjury ten times a day for the fame emolu- 

 ment, and fame linccrity. 



Mes- 



• A rclia of the moft precious kind, believed to have come from Jcrufalem, and beer rainted. 

 bj St Lttke. * 



