646 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



gratulatlons upon the event were returned from each of 

 them ; they requclled he would immediately come to court ; 

 but this the Naybe refufed to permit, till he had lirll received 

 his dues ; and Yafous feemed inclined to pay no more for 

 him than what he had coll already. 



The priefts, and devout people in Tigrc, were very defl- 

 rous to free the Abuna from his confinement in Mafuah. 

 They faw that the king was not inclined to advance money, 

 and all of them knew perfedlly, that, whatever face he put 

 upon the matter, the Ras would not give an ounce of gold 

 to prevent the Abuna from Haying there all his life. In 

 this exigency they applied to Janni, a Greek, living at Ado- 

 wa, (of whom I Ihall hereafter fpeak), a confidential fervant 

 and favourite of Michael, and alfo well acquainted at Ma- 

 fuah, to fee if he could get him releafed by ftratagem. Janni 

 concerted the alTair with the monks of the monaflery of 

 Bizan, two of whom conduced the Abuna by night out of 

 the ifland of Mafuah, and landed him fafely in their mona- 

 {lery in the wildernefs, with the ivyron^ or confecratcd oil, in 

 one hand, and iiis miifal, or liturgy, in the other. So far the 

 efcape was complete; biu unluckily no orders had been gi- 

 ven for Theodorus, who accordingly renaained behind at 

 Mafuah. 



The Naybe, cxafperated at the Abuna's flight, wrecked 

 his vengeance on poor Theodorus ; he put him in irons, 

 and threw him into clofe prifon, where he remained for 

 two months. There was no remedy but paying 80 ounces 

 of gold to tlie Naybe for his rclcafe ; he might elfe have 

 xemained there for ever. 



The 



