THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. loi 



fon in the tenc: he ftarred up I believe without divining the 

 Gaufe, and before he had time to recollecT: himfelf, they fell 

 ah upon him, and with puflies and blows drove this greafy 

 chiettain to the door of the tent, flaring with wild amaze- 

 ment, not knowing wliat was next to happen. It is high 

 treafon, and punifliable by immediate death, to fit down up- 

 on the king's chair. Poor Guangoul owed his life to his 

 ignorance. The king had beheld the whole fcene through 

 the curtain; if he laughed heartily at the beginning, he 

 laughed ten times more at the cataftrophe ; he came out 

 laughmg, and unable to fpeak. The cuflaion was lifted and 

 thrown away, and a yellow Indian fhaul fpread on the ivory 

 flool ; and ever after, when it was placed, and the king not 

 there, the ftool was turned on its face upon the carpet to 

 prevent fuch like accidents,. 



Guangoul, difappointed of having an audience of the 

 king, went to the Ras, where he was better received, but 

 what pafled I know not. His troops, armed like himfelf, 

 with (hields of no refiflance, and hedge-Hakes burnt and 

 lliarpened at the end inftead of lances, were no acquifition 

 to any party, efpecially in the prefent quarrel, where all the 

 veteran troops in Abyffinia were nearly equally divided on 

 oppofite fides ; befides, the Shoa horfe had taken the eyes of 

 people fo much, that they began to think little of any ca- 

 \^alry that was not in fome degree equipped like them. 



After the king returned to the palace, great diverfion 

 was made at Guangoul's appearance, in. fo much that Ozo- 

 ro Eft her, who hated the very name of Galla, and of this 

 race in particular, infilled upon feeing a reprefentation of 

 it. Doho, accordingly, a dwarf belonging to Ras Michael, 



very 



