62 THEODORE II. AND THE 



him off, along ^^ith the abouna. Eaa Ali, to whom the bold stroke 

 of the three generals had thus restored the victory, exhibited, upon 

 this occasion, the iadoluut generosity which characterized him. Pre- 

 ferring to deal with a vassal, who promised gratitude and fidelity, to 

 fighting, successively, the great barons who, at the point of the lance 

 were disputing for the states of Oubie, he restored to the latter his 

 liberty, of which he made a use easily foreseen. After haviug di- 

 vided, deceived, and beaten the barons in succession, the bastard, 

 stronger than ever, re-opened the campaign against ras Ali (1847). 

 This campaign was confined to a series of marches among the Alps 

 of Semen, in the midst of severe cold, which contributed much to- 

 wards rendering it inoffensive ; it was only marked by skirmishes of 

 secondary interest, in which appeared with distinction a young leader 

 of a band called Kassa, the heir of a great name, but in whom tho 

 two parties were far from detecting the man destined to restore the 

 Ethiopian empire upon the bloody ruins of feudalism. 



Kassa Kuaranya, now Theodore the second, was born, about 1818, 

 at Cherghie, chief town of the mountainous province of Kuara, go- 

 verned by liis father and uncle, the dedjaz Hailo Mariam and Konfon. 

 Hailo Mariam was of noble origin ; as to the mother of Kassa, a 

 very doubtful rumour, accredited by the vanity of her son, since hia 

 accession to the throne, would make her descend from the legitimate 

 imperial family, that which native history connects with Solomon 

 through Menikk, son of the beautiful Makada, queen of Saba. His- 

 tory has preserved no particulars of Hailo Mariam ; Konfon, on tho 

 contrary, was the most distinguished chief of the western frontier of 

 Abyssinia, open to Egyptian incursions. It was he who deprived 

 the Musselmans of the province of Gallabat, and, in lb38, cut to 

 pieces, at the battle of Abon-Qualambo, the Egyptian regulars of 

 Mahomet-Ali. The native poets have celebrated this battle iu a 

 Bong, commencing thus : — 



" The sabre of Konfoa was black, and behold it has taken the colour of thtt 

 (red) caps of the Turks..." 



Also, when Konfou died, his sister composed a requiem, still popu- 

 lar iu the whole of Abyssinia : — 



" Ye Inlluko amora Icenfou* tessabara 



Broken are the wings 6f the great eagle, 

 That swept from Metamma to Scnnaar...'' 



• There is here a pun upon Kenfou (wings' and Konfou, the name of tbg 

 bcro. Arab taste is in this respect, ti'ansmitted to the Abyssinian. 



