THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 727 



He informed them of the king's grant to me of the village of 

 Geefh; that FafiTs tyranny and avarice would end that day, 

 and another matter, like Negade Ras Georgis, was come to 

 pafs a chearful time among them, with a refolution to pay 

 for every labour they were ordered to perform, and purchafe 

 all things for ready money : he added, moreover, that no 

 military fervice was further to be exacted from them, either 

 by the king or governor of Damot, nor from their prefent 

 mailer, as he had no enemies. We found thefe news had 

 circulated with great rapidity, and we met with a hearty 

 welcome upon our arrival at the village. 



Woldo had afked a houfe from the Shum, who very ci- 

 villy had granted me his own; it was juft large enough to 

 ferve me, but we were obliged to take pofTeinon of four or 

 five others, and we were fcarcely fettled in thefe when a 

 fervant arrived from Fafil to intimate to the Shum his fur- 

 rendry of the property and fovereignty of Geefli to me, in 

 confequence of a grant from the king : he brought with 

 him a fine, large, milk-white cow, two fheep, and two 

 goats ; the fheep and goats I underftood were from Wel- 

 leta Yafous. Fafil alfo fent us fix jars of hydromel, fifty 

 wheat loaves of very excellent bread, and to this Welleta 

 Yafous had added two middle-fized horns of excellent ftrong 

 fpirits. Our hearts were now perfectly at eafe, and we palled 

 a very merry evening. Strates, above all, endeavoured, with 

 many a bumper of the good hydromel of Bure, to fubdue 

 the devil which he had fwallowed in the inchanted water. 

 Woldo, who had done his part to great perfection, and had 

 reconciled the minds of all the people of the village to us, 

 had a little apprehenfion for himfelf ; he thought he had 

 loft credit with me, and therefore employed the fervant of 



Ayi<* 



