THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 295 



thus : The king, reftoring the villages to the Iteghe, ac- 

 cording to the llipulacion of his laft treaty with PovvuiTen, 

 thought that he might fo far infringe upon if,_ from grati- 

 tude to Ras Michael, as to give part of the number to Ozoro 

 Efther, the Iteghe's daughter ; and Ayto Confu, going to 

 Tcherkin to hunt, he took his mother along with him to 

 put her in pofTellion ; for the Iteghe's people were not 

 lambs, nor did they pay much regard to the orders of the 

 king, nor to that of the Iteghe their miftrefs, at all times, 

 farther than fuited their own convenience. 



We now wanted only the prefence of Ayto Confu to 

 make our happinefs complete ; he came about four, and 

 "with him Ayto Engedan, and a great company. There was 

 nothing but rejoicing on ali fides. Seven ladies, relations 

 and companions of Ozoro Efther, came with Ayto Confu ; 

 and I confefs this to have been one of the happieft mo- 

 ments of my life. I quite forgot the difaftrous journey I had 

 before me, and all the dangers that awaited me, I began even 

 to regret being fo far in my way to leave Abylllnia for ever. 

 We learned from Ayto Confu, that it had been reported at 

 Gondar that we had been murdered by the peafants of Gim- 

 baar, but the contrary was foon known. Hov/ever, Knge- 

 dan and he had fet the lelTer village on fire in their paflage, 

 and laid a contribution of eleven ounces of gold upon lac 

 two lareer. 



o^ 



Ayto Confu's houfe at Tcherkin is built on the edge of 

 a precipice which takes its name from the mountain Amba 

 Tcherkin. It is built all with cane very artificially, the 

 outer wall being compofed of fafcines of canes, fo neatly 

 joined together as not to be penetrated by rain or wind. 



The 



