650 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The mountain Samayat, though not the mofl inaccefli- 

 ble in Tigre, was a place of great confequence and ftrength, 

 when poiTcfled by an army and officer luch as Michael. To 

 this natural fortrefs he carried all his valuable effedts, oc- 

 cupied and obftrudted all the avenues to it, and refolved 

 there to abide his fortune. The king, with his army, fat 

 down at the foot of the mountain ; and, encircling it with 

 troops, he ordered it to to be afTaulted on four fides at once ; 

 on one, by Kafmati Ayo, governor of Begemder ; on the fe- 

 cond, by Kafmati Waragna ; the third, by Kafmati Woldo ; 

 and the fourth, by Ras Welled de I'Oul. The king himfelf 

 went round about to every place, giving his orders, encou- 

 raging his men, and fighting himfelf in the foremoll ranks 

 like a common foldier. The mountain was at length car- 

 ried, with much bloodflied on both fides, and Michael was 

 beat from every part of it but one, which, though not ftrong 

 enough to hold out againft the king's army, if well defend- 

 -ed could not be carried without great lofs of men. 



Here Michael defired to capitulate. But, before he left 

 the mcruntain and furrendered to the king, he defircd that 

 an officer of truft might be fent to him, becaufe he had 

 then upon the mountain a large colledlion of treafure, 

 which he defired to keep for the king's ufe, otherwife it 

 would be diffipated and loft in the hands of the common 

 foldiers. The Ras fent two confidential officers, who took 

 from the hands of Michael a prodigious fum of gold, the 

 precife amount of which is not named. He then defccnd- 

 ed the mountain, carrying, as is the cuftom of the country 

 for vanquifhed rebels, a ttone upon his head, as confeffing 

 himfelf guilty of a capital crime. A violent ftorm of rain 

 and wind prevented, for that day, his coming inta the pre- 



^ fence. 



