THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 441 



was firft taken notice of at Gondar, two days before the 

 feafl of St Michael, on which day the army takes the field. A 

 fight fo uncommon alarmed all forts of people ; and the 

 prophets, who had kept themfelves within very moderate 

 bounds during this whole reign, now thought that it was 

 incumbent upon them to diftinguifh themfelves, and be fi- 

 lent no longer. Accordingly they foretold, from this pheno- 

 menon, and publifhed everywhere as a truth infallibly and 

 immutably pre-ordained, that the prefent campaign was to 

 exhibit a fcene of carnage and bloodfhed, more terrible and 

 more extenfive than any thing that ever had appeared in 

 the annals of Ethiopia. That thefe torrents of blood, which 

 were everywhere to follow the footfteps of the king', were 

 to be flopped by his death, which was to happen before he 

 ever returned again to Gondar ; and, as the object of the 

 king's expedition was ftill a fecret, thefe alarming prefages 

 gained a great deal of credit. 



But it was not fo with Yafous, who, notwithftanding he 

 was importuned, by learned men of all forts, to put off his 

 departure for fome days, abfolutely refufed, anfwering al- 

 ways fuch requefts by irony and derifion : " Pho ! Pho ! 

 " fays he, you are not in the right ; we muft give the co- 

 " met fair play ; ufe him well, or he will never appear again, 

 " and then idle people and old women will have nothing 

 " to amufe themfelves with." 



He accordingly left Gondar at the time he had appointed; 

 and he was already arrived at Amdaber, a few days diftance 

 from the capital, when an exprefs brought him word of his 

 mother's death, on which he immediately marched back to 

 Gondar, and buried her in the ifland of Mitraha with all 



Vol. II, 3 K poffible 



