4 83 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Galla atTchelga, a town upon the frontiers of Sennaar, being 

 at variance with her huiband, upbraided him with being the 

 perfon that, with his own hand, had afTaffinated the late 

 lung Joas. This Galla was immediately feized and fent to 

 Gondar, and was examined before the queen, where I was 

 prefent. He, with very little hefitation, declared, That, on a 

 night immediately after the battle of Azazo, he was fent for 

 to Ras Michael, who gave him fome money and large pro- 

 mifes, on condition that he would undertake to murder the 

 king that night. The perfons prefent were Laeca Netcho, 

 and his two fons, Nebrit Tecla and his two fons, Shalaka 

 Becro relation to the prefent king, and Woldo Hawaryat a 

 monk of Tigre. The prifoner faid, he was afraid, if he mould 

 refufe, they would murder him for the fake of fecrecy. He 

 •further faid, that they had given him fpirits to drink till he 

 was intoxicated, and then delivered to him the keys of the 

 apartments where Joas was confined, and they all went with 

 him to the palace; they found the unfortunate king alone, 

 walking in his apartment, very penfive, and, though at the 

 late hour of twelve at night, dreffed in his ufual habit. Two 

 of Laeca Netcho's fons attempted to put a cord round his 

 neck, but the king, being young and ltrong, ihewed a difpo- 

 fition to defend himfelf, and wrefled the cord out of the 

 murderers hands ; upon which Zor Woldo (the name of 

 the Galla) flruck him a violent blow with a bludgeon on 

 the head, which felled him to the ground : The others 

 4:hen, with a'fhort cord, ftrangled him, the monk, Woldo 

 Hawaryat, crying, difpatch him quickly ; after this they 

 carried the body to the neighbouring church of St Raphael, 

 where a grave, or rather hole, was ready, into which they 

 jhrew it with the clothes juft as he was. The prifoner faid, 

 That, when they were carrying the king's body out of the 

 2 palace 



