622 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



the palace. A great ferment immediately followed ; all the 

 monks, priefts, and madmen that could be afTembled, (and 

 on thefe occafions they gather quickly), with the Itchegue 

 and Abuna at their heads, went to Dippabye, the open place 

 before the palace, and pronounced the Iteghe, Yafous, and 

 all their abettors, accurfed and given up to burn with Da- 

 than and Abiram. 



For feveral days and nights attempts were made to fet 

 lire to,and break open the gate. Buttheloyahfts chargedthem 

 fo vigoroufly upon all thefe occafions, efpecially Billetana 

 Gueta Welled de I'Oul, and the walls of the palace were fo 

 exceedingly thick and ftrong, that little progrefs was 

 made in proportion to the men thefe attempts coft daily. 

 However, on that fide of the palace called Adenaga, the 

 rebels had lodged themfelves fo near as to fet part of it on 

 fire. 



The king's houfe in Gondar ftands in the middle of a 

 fquare court, which may be full an Englifli mile in circum- 

 ference. In the midft of it is a fquare tower, in which there 

 are many noble apartments. A ftrong double wall furrounds 

 it, and this is joined by a platform roof; loop-holes, and 

 conveniences for difcharging miflile weapons, are difpofed 

 all around it. The whole tower and wall is built of ftone 

 and lime ; but part of the tower being demoliihed and laid 

 in ruins, and part of it let fall for want of repair, fmall apart- 

 ments, or houfes of one ftorey, have been built in different 

 parts of the area, or fquare, according to the fancy of the 

 prince then reigning, and thefe go now by the names of the 

 ancient apartments in the palace, which are fallen down. 



These 



