THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 8t 



without any covering whatever. Sebaat Laab died of a 

 fever in a few days ; Kefla Mariam Uved, if not to fee, at Icaft 

 to hear, that he was revenged, after the battle of Serbraxos^ 

 by the difgrace and captivity of Michael. 



I WILL fpare myfelf the difagreeable tafk of Ihocking my 

 readers with any further account of thefe horrid cruelties ■; 

 enough has been faid to give an idea of the charader of 

 thefe times and people. Blood continued to be fpilt as wa- 

 ter, day after day, till the Epiphany ; priefts, lay-men, young 

 men and old, noble and vile, daily found their end by the 

 knife or the cord. Fifty-feven people died publicly by the 

 hand of the executioner in the courfe of a very few days ; 

 many difappeared, and were either murdered privately, or 

 fent to prifons, no one knew where. 



The bodies of thofe killed by the fword were hewn to 

 pieces and fcattered about the ftreets, being denied burial. 

 I was miferable, and almoft driven to defpair, at feeing my 

 hunting-dogs, twice let loofe by the carelellnefs of my fer- 

 vants, bringing into the court-yard the head and arms of 

 flaughtered men, and which I could no way prevent but 

 by the deftruc^ion of the dogs themfelves ; the quantity of 

 carrion, and the llcnch of it, broughc down the hyaenas in 

 hundreds from the neighbouring mountains; and, as few 

 people in Gondar go out after it is dark, they enjoyed the 

 flreets to themfelves, and feemed ready to difpute the pof- 

 feffion of the city with the inhabitants. Often when I went 

 home late from the palace, and it was this time the king 

 chofe chiefly for converfation, though I had but to pafs the 

 corner of the market-place before the palace, had lanthorns 

 with me, and was furrounded with armed men, I heard 



Vol. IV. L them 



