632 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The king in five days marching from Gidara came to a 

 ilation of the Daveina, which is a tribe of fhepherds, by 

 much the ilrongefl of any in Atbara. He fell into their en- 

 campments a little before the dawn of day. The firft fhew 

 they made was that of refiftance, till they had got their 

 horfes and camels faddled ; they then all fled, after the king 

 had killed three of them with his own hand. Ras Wood- 

 age fignalized himfelf likewife by having flain the fame 

 number with the king. The cattle, women, and provifions 

 fell all into the king's hand, and were driven off to Gondar. 

 Their arrival gave the town an entertainment to which 

 they had a long time been ftrangers. Many thoufand ca- 

 mels were affembled in the plain, where Hands the palace 

 of Kahha, (upon a river of that name) large flocks of horn- 

 ed cattle, of extraordinary beauty, were alfo brought from 

 Atbara, which the king ordered to be diftributed among 

 his foldiers, and the priells of Gondar, and fuch of the offi- 

 cers of ftate as had been neceflarily detained on account of 

 the police, and had not followed the army. 



This year, 1736, there happened a total eclipfe of the fun 

 which very much affected the minds of the weaker fort of 

 people. The dreamers and the prophets were everywhere 

 let loofc, full of the lying fpirit which polfefl^ed them, to 

 foretel that the death of the king, and the downfal of his go- 

 vernment were at hand, and deluges of civil blood were then 

 fpcedily to be fpilt both in the capital and provinces. There 

 was not, indeed, at the time any circumftance that warranted 

 fuch a predidion, or any thing likely to be more fatal to 

 the ftate, than the expenditure of the large funis of money 

 th9.t the turn the king had taken fubjecT.ed him to. 



4 He 



