THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 7^ 



tliem. When it came to Ras Michael to give his vote, he 

 afFeaed moderation ; he faid that he was accufed for being 

 his enemy and accomplice ; in either cafe, it is not fair 

 that he fliould judp^e him. No fuperior officer being pre- 

 fent, the laft voice remained with the king, who fent Kal 

 Hatze to the Board with his fentence ; ' He is guilty and 

 /^^//die the death.— rYh.z hangmany^^// hang him upon a tree 

 to-day: The unfortunate Acab Saat was immediately hur- 

 ried away by the guards to the place of execution, which is 

 a large tree before the king's gate ; where uttering, to the 

 very laft moment, curfes againft the king, the Ras, and the 

 Abuna, he fufFered the death he very richly deferved, 

 being hanged in the very veftments in which he ufed to' 

 fit before the king, without one ornament of his civil or 

 facerdotal pre-eminence having been taken from him 

 ^ before the execution. In going to the tree he faid he had 

 400 cows, which he bequeathed to fome priefls to fay prayers 

 for his foul ; but the Ras ordered them to be brought to 

 Gondar, and diftributed among his foldiers. 



I HAVE entered into a longer detail of this trial, at the 

 whole of which I affifted, the rather that I might all^ this 

 queftion of thofe that maintain the abfolute independence of 

 •the Abyffinian priefthood, Whether, if -the many inllances 

 already mentioned have not had tlie effccfl, this one does 

 not fully convince them, that all ecclefiaftical perfons arc 

 fubjed to the fecular power in Abyffinia as much as they 

 are in Britain or any European Protellant ftatc whatever ? 



Chremation, Socinios's brother, was next called he 

 Teemed half dead with fear; he only denied having' any 

 concern in his brother being elected king. He faid he 



had 



