Co TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



any punifhment upon me that can poffibly equal the plea- 

 fure I feel this day at feeing you fitting there." He fmiled 

 with great good nature, giving me firft the back, and then 

 the palm of his hand to kifs. He then made me a fign to 

 ftand in my place, which I irnmediately did for a moment ; 

 and, feeing he was then upon bufmefs,which I knew nothing 

 of, I took leave of him, and could not help refle(5ling, as I 

 went, that, of all the vaft multitude then in my fight, I was^ 

 perhaps, the only one deftitute either of hope or fear. 



All Gondar, and the neighbouring towns and villages,, 

 had poured out their inhabitants to meet the king upon his 

 return. The fear of Ras Michael was the caufe of all this j; 

 and every one trembled, left, by being abfent, he fhould be 

 thought a favourer of Socinios.. 



The fide of the hill, which flopes gently from BelefTen, is. 

 here very beautiful ; it is covered thick with herbage down 

 to near the foot, where it ends in broken rocks. The face 

 of this hill is of great extent, expofed to the W. and S. W. ; 

 a fmall, but clear-running ftream, rifing in Beleflfen, runs 

 through the middle of it, and falls into the Mogetch. It is 

 not confiderable, being but a brook, called Mariam-Ohha^ 

 (/'. e. the water of Mariam) from a church dedicated to the 

 Virgin, near where it rifes in BelelTen ; an infinite number 

 of people fpread thcmfelves all over the hill, covered with 

 cotton garments as white as fnow. The number could not 

 be lefs than 50 or 60,000 men and women, all ftrewed upon 

 the grafs promifcuoufly. Moft of thefe had brought their 

 vi(5luals with them, others trufted to their friends and ac- 

 quaintances in the army ; the foldiers had plenty of meat ; 

 as £oon as the king had crolTed the Tacazze all was lawful 



prize ;, 



