THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 233 



feveral days. He refufed therefore to furrender upon the 

 o-eneral fummons ; on which PowufTen, who was encamped 

 immediately below him, fent an officer to require him to 

 fubmit, which he not only peremprorily refufed, but told 

 the officer, that, unlefs he inftantly retired, he would give 

 orders to fire upon him, as he had a treaty with Guiho, and, 

 till that was ratified by Gufho himfelf, he would not furren- 

 der, nor fuffer any other perfon to approach his poft ; at any 

 rate, that he did not intend to furrender to a man of Powuf- 

 fen's low birth, however high his prefent poft had raifed 

 him, which he no longer acknowledged, being the mere 

 gift of Michael, one complaint againft whom was that of 

 levelling and confounding the nobility with their infe- 

 riors. 



GuSHo accordingly fent an officer, a man of great cha- 

 rader, and a relation of the kmg, with a confirmation of 

 his promife; whereupon Kefla Yafous furrendered, and 

 fent down his foldiers, with what arms he pleafed, to Gu- 

 flio's camp, carrying the reft privately to his own houfe, to 

 which he retired that very evening. Kefla Yafous was 

 much beloved by the inhabitants of Gondar, though a Ti- 

 gran, and perhaps in neither party was there a man fo uni- 

 verfally efteemed. He had done the townfmen often great 

 fervice, having always flood between Michael and them in 

 thofe moments of wrath and vengeance when no one elfe 

 dared to fpeak ; and, in particular, he had faved the town 

 from burning that morning the Ras had retired with the 

 king to Tigre,when warned, as he faid, by an apparition of 

 Michael the archangel, or more probably of the devil, to put 

 the inhabitants of Gondar to the fword, and fet the city on 

 fire; a meafure that was fuppoited by Nebrit Tecia, and 



Vol. IV. G g Several 



