THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 215 



his reign was marked by a mutiny of his foldiers, who* 

 joining themfelves to fome Mahometans, plundered the 

 town, and then difbanded. A mifunderftanding alfo hap- 

 pened with Ayto Hamelmal, fon to Romana Werk, daughter 

 of Hatze Naod, which threatened many misfortunes in its 

 confequences. 



Tecla Asfadin, governor of Tigre, was ordered by the 

 king to march againfl him ; and the armies fought with 

 equal advantage. But Hamelmal dying foon after, his party 

 difperfed without further trouble. Fafil, too, his coufin, who 

 had been appointed governor of Damot, rebelled foon after, 

 and was defeated by the king, who this year (the fourth 

 of his reign) commanded his army for the iirft time in per- 

 fon, and greatly contributed to the victory, though he was 

 but then fixteen years of age. 



The fixth year of his reign he marched againfl a clan of 

 Galla, called Aze, whom he often beat, flaying in the coun- 

 try two whole years. Upon his return, he found the Ba- 

 harnagafh, Ifaac and Harla, and other malcontents, when: 

 a fort of a pacification followed ; and having received from 

 the rebels confiderable prefents, he fat down at Dob.-, a 

 fmall town in Dembea, where he panned the winter,. 



All this time Oviedo and the Portuguefe did not appear 

 at court. The king, however, did not moleft the priefts in 

 their baptifms, preachings, or any of their functions. He 

 often fpake favourably of their moral characters, their fo- 

 briety, patience, and decency of their lives ; but he condemn- 

 ed decifively the whole of theii religious tenets, which he 

 pronounced to be full of danger and contradiction, and de- 

 structive 



