i6S TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



chamberlain ; then the fecretary * for the king's com- 

 mands; after him the right and left Azagcs, or generals ; 

 after them Rak Mattery, after him the bafha, after him 

 Kafmati of Damot, then of Samen, then Amhara, and, laft 

 of all, Tigre, before whom ftands a golden cup upon a cu- 

 fhion, and he is called Nebrit, as being governor of Axum„ 

 or keeper of the book of the law fuppoied to be there.. 



After the governor of Tigre comes the Acab Saat, or 

 guardian of the fire, and the chief ecclefiaftical officer off 

 the king's houfehold. Some have faid that this officer was 

 appointed to attend the king at the time of eating, and that 

 it was his province to order both meat and drink to be with- 

 drawn whenever he faw the king inclined to excefs. If this, 

 was really his office, he never ufed it in my time, nor, as 

 far as I could learn, for feveral reigns before, Befides, no 

 king eats in public, or before any perfon but flaves; and he 

 never would chufe that time to commit excefs, in which he 

 might be controuled by a fubjecl:, even if it was that fub- 

 ject's right to be prefent when the king eats, as it is not,. 



After the Acab Saat comes the firft m after of the houfe^ 

 hold; then the Betwudet, or Ras; laft of all the king gives 

 his fentence, which is final, and fends it to the table, from 

 the balcony where he is then fitting, by the officer called, as 

 aforementioned, Kal-Hatzel 



We meet in Abyflinia with various tifages, which many 

 Lave hitherto thought to be peculiar to thole ancient nar- 



tions 



* Hatze Azaze. 



