THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 6«j 



Joas himfelf ; and from the palace, attended by two hun- 

 dred fokliers, and all the people of note in the town, he 

 went llraight to tal^ pofleflion of the houfe which is parti-. 

 nilarly appropriated to his office, and fat down in judgment 

 with the doors open. 



Marauding parties of fokliers had entered at feveral parts 

 of the town, and begun to ufe that licence they had been ac- 

 cullomed to on their march, pilfering and plundering houfes, 

 or perfons that feemed without protection. Upon the firft 

 complaints, as he rode through the town, he caufed twelve 

 of the delinquents to be apprehended, and hanged upon, 

 trees in the ftreets, fitting upon his mule till he faw the 

 execution performed. After he had arrived at his houfe, 

 and was feated, thefe executions were followed by above 

 fifty others in different quarters of Gondar. That fame 

 day he ellablilhed four excellent officers in four quarters 

 of the town. The firft was Kefla Yafous, a man of the 

 greateft worth, \yhom I fhall frequently mention as a friend 

 in the courfe of my hiftory ; the fecond, Billetana Gueta 

 Welleta Michael, that is, firft mafter of the houfehold to the 

 king. He had given that old officer that office, upon fuper- 

 feding Lubo the king's uncle, without any confent alked 

 or given. He was a man of a very morofe turn, with whom 

 I was never conne(fted. The third was Billetana Gueta Te- 

 cla, his fifter's fon, a man of very great worth and merit, 

 who had the foft and gentle manners of Amhara joined to 

 the determined courage of the Tigran. 



Michael took upon himfelf the charge of the fourth di- 



&n6t. He did not pretend by this to crcd: a military go- 



4 R 2 vernment 



