THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 93 



ter of lupines, that no vife could be made of it. I was a Sove- 

 reign, it is true, and my revenue was what wife men have faid 

 is the heft, — the love of the people. It went, however, buE 

 little way towards fupporting my dignity. 



While the king was at Kahha, keeping the feftival of 

 the Epiphany, he received a very extraordinary vifit from: 

 Amha Yafous, fon of the governor of Shoa, offering his per- 

 fonal fervice and afliftance to the king, and brought with 

 him, as a prefent, 500 ounces of gold, and a thoufand ex- 

 cellent horfemen ready equipt at all points. Upon his being 

 prefentedto the king, two young noblemen were inftruc- 

 ted to be ready to lay hold of him by the arms, and prevent 

 his throwing himfelf upon the ground if he intended fo to 

 do. The king was feated upon the throne, very richly 

 drelTed in brocade, a very fine muflin web wrapt loofely a- 

 bout him, fo as to hang in plaits, and in fome parts fhow, 

 and in fome conceal, the flowers of the cloth of gold of 

 which his waiftcoat was compofed. His hair was loofe, 

 combed out at its full length, and falling about his head in 

 every direcftion, and a fork, like a fkewer, mad^ of a rhino- 

 ceros horn, with a gold button or head upon it, lluck thro' 

 his hair near his temples ; he was all perfumed with rofe 

 water, and two people flood on the oppofite fides of the 

 tent, each of them with a filver bottle full of it. 



Amha Yasous with his thoufand horfe prefented him- 

 felf before the door of the tent, and rode on till he was 

 compleatly in it ; he then defcended as in a great hurry or 

 furprife, and ran forward, flooping, to the foot of the 

 throne, inclining his body lower andloweras he approached-, 

 and, jufl before the adt of proflration, he was feized by Tec la. 

 3, ' Mariam: 



