€8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



night by their friends to keep the beafls fromithem, were 

 at laft fuffered to be taken privately away, at the intercef- 

 fion of the troops of Tigre, whofe countr) men they were. 

 Chremation and Abba Salama were abandoned to their for- 

 tune, and in part putrified ; they were covered with heaps 

 of flones thrown upon them by fuch as were pafling, and 

 had no other burial. 



The next night, the ift of January 1771, according to or- 

 der, I waited upon the king with Confu and Engedan, and 

 with them Yafine : meafures were then taken for buying 

 their horfes and coats of mail ; the Ras had advanced part 

 of the money, the reft was co be made up by the meery, or 

 king's duty, due by the Mahometan provinces, which had 

 not been paid fmce he went to Tigre ; a Mahometan fer- 

 vant of the king was fent for from the cuftomhoufe ; with 

 him was to go a man from Yafme, and with them I fent 

 my letters by the hand of Soliman, a black of Ras el Feel, 

 a man remarkable for his ftrength, courage, and lize, and 

 very flirewd and difcerning, under the appearance of an 

 idiot : Yafme was fent with them to get a fafe conducft from 

 his friend Fidcle Shekh of Atbara, who \vas to convoy them 

 to Beyla, and thence to Sennaar. 



It was not without great difpute and altercation the 

 king would allow me the permiiTion to fend letters ; at laft, 

 feeing he could do no better, it was agreed that, as an im- 

 mediate engagement between Powuftcn, Guflio, and Ras 

 Michael, was inevitable, I fhould fwear not to attempt to 

 leave him till tTiat affair was fettled feme way or other; 

 J)ut the king infifted I fliould alio take an oath, that, fhould 

 he be viftoriovis over, or reconciled to the rebels, if the en- 

 2 gagemenjt 



