THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 237 



iimation they would themfelves have met with no better 

 treatment. 



While every rank of people was intent upon this fpec- 

 tacle, a body of Galla, belonging to Maitiha, Hole privately 

 into the town, and plundered feveral houfes : they came 

 next into the king's palace, and into the prefence-chamber, 

 where he was futing alone in an alcove, whilft, juft by his 

 fide, but out of fight, and without the alcove, I and two of 

 his fervants were fitting on the floor. This room, in the 

 time of Yafous and the Iteghe, (the days of luxury and 

 fplendour of the AbyfTmian court), had' been magnificently 

 hung with mirrors, brought at great expence from Venice, 

 byway of Arabia and the Red Sea; tliefe were very neatly fix- 

 ed in copper-gilt frames by fome Greek fiiligrane- workers 

 from Cairo; but the mirrors were now moflly broken by 

 various accidents, cfpecially wheirthe palace was fet on fire, 

 in Joas's time, upon Michael's coming from the campaign 

 of Begemden Thefe favages, though they certainly faw 

 the king at the other end of the room, attached themfelves 

 to the glafs nearefl the door, which was a large oblong 

 one, and after they had made many grimaces, and a variety 

 of antics before it, one of them flruck it jull in the middle 

 with the butt-end of his lance, and broke it to fliivers, 

 which fell tinkling on the floor. Some of thefe pieces 

 they took up, but in the end they were moftly reduced to 

 powder with the repeated ftrokes of their lances. There 

 were three glafles in the alcove where the king fat, as al- 

 fo one in the wings on each fide without the alcove ; un- 

 der the king's right hand we three were fitting, and the 

 Galla were engaged with a mirror near the door, at the o-t 

 ther end of the room, on the left fide, fo that there was.: 



bu|: 



