j4 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



As foon as he had heard in how favourable a manner Wood- 

 age Afahel had been received, he decamped, taking with 

 him 400 horfe and 5oo foot,all chofen men, from Maitlhaand 

 Damor, and with thefe he advanced, by forcedmarches,toGon- 

 dar, where he arrived the: 2d of November, to the furprife of 

 the whole tov/n and court, for he had already fo often pro- 

 mifed, and fo often broken his word, that nobody pretended 

 to guefs more about him till they aflually faw him arrived. 

 That fame evening he waited on the queen, where he made 

 a fhort vifit ; he paid a ftill fhorter to the king, and no 

 bufinefs paffed at either pf thefe meetings. 



The king, Socinios,was now more than ever confirmed- 

 in the belief of Afahel's information, becaufe, notvvithftand- 

 ing that f afil knew perfe6lly his neceflities, and that for 

 feven years he had not paid a farthing to the revenue, he 

 ilill had not brought either payment, or prefent of any fort; 

 and, inftead of coming with a large army to give battle to 

 Ras Michael, he arrived as in peace with fcarce a body guard; 

 and, what feemed to put the matter beyond all doubt, the 

 very night of his arrival, upon coming from his audience, 

 he fet Welleta LSelaffe at liberty, and fent him to Tigre to his 

 uncle Ras Michael, loaded with many prefents, and with 

 every mark of refpecft. There were, however, about Soci- 

 nios fome people of wifdom enough to ccunfel him to take 

 no notice of this behaviour of Fafil, which feemed to favour 

 llrongly of defiance ; and he was wife enough for a fhort 

 time to follow their advice. As he had, by fair means, 

 gained Woodage Afahel, he thought he might, by purfuing 

 the fame condud:, fucceed with Faiil alfo. 



