THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. S z* 



M. de Maillet, nor M. le Grande his hiftorian, have not 

 thought fit to explain who the monk Jofeph was mention- 

 ed in this letter. Now it is certain, that, when Murat and 

 Poncet were returned from Abyffinia, there was a miffion- 

 ary of the minor friars, who arrived in Ethiopia, had an au- 

 dience of the king, and wrote a letter in his name to the 

 pope, wherein he has foifted many improbabilities and falfe- 

 hoods ; and concludes with declaring on the part of Yafous, 

 that he fubmits to the fee of Rome in the fame manner the 

 kings his predeceflbrs had fubmitted. He makes Yafous 

 fpeak Latin, too ; and it is perfectly plain from the * whole 

 letter, that, though he writes it himfelf, he cannot conceal 

 that the king Yafous wanted him very much away, and 

 was very uneafy at his flay at Gondar. Who this was we 

 know not, but fuppofe it was one of thofe afTaffins of M. 

 du Roule, carrying on a private intrigue without participa- 

 tion of the conful, fome of whom were afterwards detected 

 in Walkaytinthe reign of David IV. 



As for Elias, the forerunner of the French embaffy, now 

 become the only remains of it, he continued in Abyffinia 

 (to judge by his letter) in great poverty, till the year 171 8, 

 immediately after which he went, over to Arabia Felix, and 

 firft wrote from Mocha to M. de Maillet conful at Cairo, as 

 it will appear in the reign of David IV. where I have infert- 

 ed his letter ; that written to M. du Roule in the name of 

 Yafous, that of Tecla Haimanout to the Bafha and Divan of 

 Cairo, I have now here inferted, becaufe I have advanced facts 

 founded upon them. 



Vol. II. 3 U Translation 



* See the letter itielf, it is the Iaft in Le'Grandc's bock, and in Latin, if I remember rightly. 



