62 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



taking an adverfe turn while beficging the mountain Ha^ 

 ramat ; that the Abuna, Itcheguc, and Acab Saat, had fo- 

 lemnly excommunicated the king, Ras Michael, and all 

 their adherents, declaring them accurfed, and abfolving all 

 people from their allegiance to Tecla Kaimanout. But as 

 foon as the king began his march from Tigre, application 

 for pardon was made through every channel poliible, and 

 it was not without great difFiculty that Ras Michael could 

 be brought to pardon them, chiefly by the entreaty of Ozo- 

 ro Efther. But this mortification was prefcribed to them 

 as a condition of forgivenefs, that they fliould meet the 

 king at Mariam-Ohha, not with drums and crolTes, or a re- 

 tinue, but in the habit and appearance of fupplicants. Ac- 

 cordingly they both came by the time the king had alight- 

 ed, but they brought no tent with them, nor was any 

 pitched for them, nor any honour Ihewn them. 



The Abuna had with him a priefl:, or monk, on a mule, 

 and two beggarly-looking fervants on foot ; the Itchegue 

 two monks, that looked like fervants, difl:inguilhed by a 

 cowl only on their heads ; they were both kept waiting 

 till pail: three o'clock, and then were admitted, and fliarply 

 rebuked by the Ras : they after went to the king, who pre- 

 fently difmilTcd them without faying a word to either, or 

 without allowing them to be feated in his prefence, which 

 both of them, by their rank, were intitled to be. I afked the 

 Abuna to make ufe of my tent to avoid the fun : this he 

 willingly accepted of, was crell- fallen a little, fpoke very 

 lowly and familiarly ; faid he had always a regard for me, 

 which I had no reafon to believe ; defircd me to fpeak fa- 

 vourable of him before jhe King and the Ras, which I pro- 

 miled faitlifully to do. I ordered coffee, which he drank 



v^ith 



