258 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



their neighbours in time of war. The whole country of 

 Degwalfa, the diftrift which Aclog commanded, was totally 

 deftroyed ; men, women, and children, were entirely extirpa- 

 ted, without diflincflion of age or fex ; the houfes all razed 

 to the ground, and the country about it left as defolate as 

 after the deluge. The villages belonging to the king 

 were as feverely treated ; an univerfal cry was heard from 

 every parr, but no one dared to fuggeft any means of help ; 

 parties were fo entirely mixed and confounded, that no 

 one could fafely enter into any confidence with his neigh- 

 bour ; but the common people, who had little to lofe, be- 

 gan again to cry out for the return and government of Ras, 

 Michael. 



Fasil, having given the king this fample of what hs 

 was capable of doing, halted at Sar-Ohha, and from thence 

 fent a peremptory demand that Gulho Ihould be at liber- 

 ty. His melTenger was a crooked, diminutive dwarf, call- 

 ed Dohho, of whom I have already fpoken. It was a very 

 bad fign of a treaty when fuch a one was the manager. 

 He upbraided the king in terms fcarcely decent, with the 

 pr6te(5lion, life, and kingdom the Ras Fafil had given him, 

 when the contrary was abfolutely in his power. He afk- 

 ed the king if he knew who had protected him the night 

 of the retreat from the hill of Serbraxos ? and told him, in 

 plain terms, that, being entirely void of the noble princi- 

 ples of gratitude himfelf, he had forced him, Fafil, to be 

 wanting to the next great virtue, that of hofpitality, in fuf- 

 fering a man of GuQio's quality to be made prifoner after 

 arriving within the limits of his government. He concluded, 

 by telling the king plainly, that, unlefs he reilored Guflio 

 to his liberty and government, without condition, he 



would. 



