THE SOURCE OF THENILE. 671 



entire diflblution of her power. In order to counterbalance 

 this, they aflbciatcd to their party and council Mariam Ba- 

 rea, who had lately married Ozoro Efther, and was in pof- 

 feflion of the fecond province in the ftate for riches and 

 for power, and greatly increafed in its importance by the 

 officer that commanded it. Upon the death of Welled de 

 rOul, the principal fear the party of the Galla had was, 

 that Mariam Barea fliould be brought to Gondar as Ras. 

 The union between him and Kafmati Efhte, formerly as 

 flrong by inclination as now it was by blood, put them in 

 terror for their very exiftence, and a ftroke was to be 

 flruck at all hazards that was to feparate thefe interefts 

 for ever. 



EsHTE, upon taking pofTeffion of the province of Damot, 

 found the Djawi, eftabliflied upon the frontiers of the pro- 

 vince, very much inclined to revolt. Notwithftanding peace 

 had been eilabhfhed among the Agows ever fmce Nanna 

 Georgis had been defeated at the laft battle, the Galla had 

 Itill continued to rob and diftrefs them, contrary to the pub- 

 lic faith that had been pledged to them. 



EsHTE was too honeft a man to fuffer this ; but the 

 truth was, the Djawi had felt the advantage of having a man 

 like the late Waragna governor of Damot ; and they wanted, 

 by all means, to reduce the miniifters to the ncceflity of ma- 

 king that command hereditary in his family, by Fafil his fon 

 being preferred to fucceed him. 



This Fafil, whom I fhall hereafter call Waragna Fafil, a 

 name which was given to diftinguifh him from nmnj other 

 Falils in the army, was a man then about twenty-two, whom 



Ellur 



