446 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



view to cover his own defigns, fummoned all the men of 

 the province of Gojam to meet him in arms at Ibaba the 

 yth day of January, being the proper feafon for preparing 

 an expedition into the country of the Galla. He himfelf in 

 the mean time retired to Dek, an ifland in the lake Tzana, 

 there to flay till his army mould be collected. ; 



While the king was in the ifland, a number of the mal- 

 contents among the monks, who had, in the feveral af- 

 femblies, been banifhed for fedition with Tebedin, came to 

 him there, defiling to be heard before an afTembly ; and 

 they brought with them Area Denghel, of Debra Samayat, to 

 fupport their petition. The king anfwered, that he was 

 ready to call an afTembly, provided the Abuna defired, or 

 would promife to be prefent ; but that the Abuna was 

 then at Debra Mariam, where they might go and know his 

 mind. 



The Abuna, who forefaw little good could be expected 

 from fuch meetings, and knew how difagreeable they were 

 to the king, abfolutely refuled to attend. On this they re- 

 turned again to the king, defiring that, of his own mere 

 prerogative, he would call their afTembly without confult- 

 ing further the Abuna. To this the king anfwered boldly, 

 That he knew it was his right to call his fubje<5ts together, 

 without any other reafon for fo doing but his will ; yet, 

 when the avowed caufe of the meeting was to canvafs mat- 

 ters of faith, he had made it a rule to himfelf, that the 

 Abuna mould always be prefent, or at leafl confent to the 

 meeting. And with this anfwer he ordered them all to 

 depart immediately. 



Many 



