528 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



fame time that it puts your perfon in fafety ; that you will 

 not be troubled with monks about their religious matters, 

 or in danger from thefe rafcals that may feek to murder 

 you for money." 



" What are the monks"?" fays the fame voice from the 

 corner ; " the monks will never meddle with fuch a man as 

 this." — " Therefore the king," continued the Ras, with- 

 out taking any notice of the interruption, " has ap- 

 pointed you Baalomaal, and to command the Koccob horfe, 

 which I thought to have given to Francis, an old foldier of 

 mine ; but he is poor, and we will provide for him better, for 

 thefe appointments have honour, but little profit." "Sir," fays 

 Francis, who was in prefence, but behind, " it is in much more 

 honourable hands than either mine or the Armenian's, or 

 any other white man's, fince the days of Hatze Menas, and 

 fo I told the king to-day." " Very well, Francis," fays the 

 Ras ; " it becomes a foldier to fpeak the truth, whether it 

 makes for or againft himfelf. Go then to the king, and kifs 

 the ground upon your appointment. 1 fee you have already 

 learned this ceremony of our's ; Aylo and Heikel are very 

 proper perfons to go with you. The king exprefled his fur* 

 prife to me lafl night he had not feen you ; and there too is 

 Tecla Mariam, the king's fecretary, who came with your 

 appointment from the palace to-day." The man in the cor- 

 ner, that I took for a prieft, was this Tecla Mariam, a fcribe. 

 Out of the king's prefence men of this order cover their 

 heads, as do the prielts, which was the reafon of my mif- 

 take, 



I then gave him a prefent, which he fcarce looked at, as 

 & number of people were prefling in at the door from eu- 



riofity 



