TK<E SOURCE OF THE NILE. 5^1 



We fliall now return to Gondar to king Yafous, who be^ 

 ing recovered of his difeafe, and having difmiffed his phy- 

 fician, was preparing to fet out on a campaign againft the 

 Galla. 



Yasous, for his firft wife, had married Ozoro. Malacota* 

 wit, a lady of great family and connexions in the province 

 of Gojam. By her he had a fon, Tecla Haimanout, who was 

 grown to manhood, and. had hitherto lived in the mofl du^ 

 tiful affection and fubmiffion to his father, . who, on his 

 part, feemed to place unlimited confidence in his fon. He 

 now gave a proof of this, not very common in the annals 

 of Abyflinia, by leaving Tecla Haimanout behind him, at 

 an age when he was fit to reign, appointing him Betwudet, 

 with abfolute power to govern in his abfehce. Yafous had 

 a miftrefs whom he tenderly loved, a woman of great qua- 

 lity likewife, whofe name was Ozoro Kedufte. She was li- 

 fter to his Fit-Auraris, Agne, a very diftinguimed and capa- 

 ble officer, and by her he had three children, David, Han- 

 nes, and Jonathan. 



It happened; while he was watching the motions of- the 

 Galla, news were brought that Ozoro Kedufte had been ta- 

 ken ill of. a fever ; and though, upon this intelligence, h«2 

 difpofed his affairs fo as to return with all poffible expedi* 

 tion, yet when he came to Bercante, the lady's houfe, he 

 found that fhe was not only dead, but had been for fouia 

 time buried. All his prefence of mind now left him; ha 

 fell into the moft violent tranfport of wild defpair, and, or^ 

 dering her tomb to be opened, he went down, into it, ta- 

 king his three fons along with him, and became fo frantia 

 at the fight of the corpfe, that it was. with the utmoft diffi^ 



culty- 



