' THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 151 



Early in the moraiag foxne priefts came from Powuf- 

 fen, Ayabdar, aiid Guilio, to take the moR iblemn oaths be- 

 fore the Abun^i, that they never had the fmallefl knowledge 

 ©f what the ajGfairm had laid to their charge; and they 

 took upon themfeU^es fentence of excommunication, which 

 the Abuna then pronounced condiiionally, if they had di- 

 r-ec^ly, or indireclly, been principal or accei1bry,-or known, 

 or been conhdted, in any manner whacevcr, as to the de- 

 figns of that alTaffin. Several principal officers of the rebels,, 

 moreover, who had left Gondar and gone over to Fafd, and 

 who were there in Guflio's camp, came over to congratu- 

 late with Ras Michael upon his efcape, fo that, for a mo- 

 ment, one would have thought the whole country interefted 

 in faving him v/hom all were actually in arms at that in- 

 llant to dellroy. What furpiifed me mofl of all, probable 

 as the thing might feem to be, not one man in the camp,, 

 from the Ras and King downward, feemed to think that 

 this attempt of the Gurague. had been in any ihape the 

 plot of the rebels ; and yet, in old times, murder by treaion 

 muft have been very frequent in his kingdom, as appears 

 by their cuftoms preferved to this day ; no perfon, be their 

 ftation, connexion, or friendlliip what it will, can offer any 

 one meat or drink withkjut tailing it before them. 



Proposals of peace followed this friendly intcrcourfe,, 

 but the condition being always that Michael Ihould depart, 

 to Tigre, which he thought was but in otiier terms a pro- 

 pofid to deflroy him, thefe friendly overtures ended in de-- 

 fiance and proteftation, Tiiat to him alone was owing the 

 effufion of human blood, and the ruin of his country, which; 

 was immediately to follow,. 



