THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. jt8; 



On the 21ft, Engedan was conveyed in a litter to Gondar; 

 and early in the morning of that day arrived an officer from 

 PowuiTen, together with three or four priefts. He brought 

 with him twenty or thirty kettle-drums belonging to the 

 king, with their mules, and as many of the drummers as 

 were alive. The errand was iham propofals of peace, as ufual, 

 and great profeffions of allegiance to the king. As Powuf- 

 fen's attack, however, that day, had fomething very perfon- 

 al in it, and that the llory of Theodorus was founded upon 

 a fuppofition that the king was to be ilain on the field of 

 Serbraxos, little anfwer was returned, only the red flag was 

 fent back with a melTage, That perhaps, from the good for- 

 tune that had attended it, Powuflen might wifh to keep it 

 for Theodorus his fucceflbr, but it was never after feen or 

 heard of. 



GusHo likewife, and Ayabdar, fent a kind of embalTy to 

 inquire after the king's health and fafety ; they wifhed him, 

 in terms of the greateil refpedl, not to expofe himfelf in the' 

 field as he had done in the lafl battle, or a^leaft, if hechofe 

 to command his troops in perfon, that he fliould diftinguifli 

 himfelf by fome horfe, or drefs, as his predeceffors ufed to 

 do ; and they concluded vv^ith fevere refledlions on Michael, 

 as not fufficiently attentive to the fafety of his fovercign! 

 Gracious mellages were returned to thefe two, and they all 

 were difmilFed with the ufual prefects of clothes and 

 money. 



About eleven o'clock in the forenoon I received an or- 

 der from the Ras to attend him, and, as I thought it was 

 about the alFair of Guebra Mafcal, I went very unwillingly. 

 I was confirmed in this by feeing him waiting with manv 



Aa2 of 



