THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. $ 2 $ 



Maillet collufively, that the king fays was a violation of the 

 law of nations ; and it was this infult, done to Murat his 

 ambafTador, that he all along complains of, not that offered 

 to du Roule, which he leaves to the king of France ; for he 

 fays exprefsly, if he was to ftarve, or deilroy them all, by 

 flopping the Nile from coming into Egypt, it would be on 

 account of the infult offered to Murat, the envoy, or man, 

 fent on his part to France. It is plain, therefore, that M. de 

 Maillet perfecuted the poor Syrian very wrongfully, and 

 that in no one inftance, from firfl to laft, was lie ever in the 

 .right concerning that embafly. 



This ftep, which juftice dictated, was not without its re- 

 ward ; for Tecla Haimanout, who had affembled his army 

 on this account fooner than he otherwife intended, found 

 immediately after, that a rival and rebel prince, Amda Sion, 

 was fet up againft him by the friends of his father Yafous, 

 and that he had been privately collecting troops, intending 

 to take him by furprife, when he was, however, at the head 

 of his army ready to give him battle. 



The firfl; thing the king did was to difpatch a large body 

 of troops to reinforce Dermin, governor of Gojam, and to 

 him Tie fent pofitive orders to force Amda Sion to fight 

 wherever he mould find him, while he, with the royal ar- 

 my, came forward with all expedition to keep the people in 

 awe, and prevent them from joining his rival. 



Amda Sion, on the otherhand, loft no time. From Ibaba, 

 through Maitftia, he marched ftraight to Gondar. Being ar- 

 rived at the king's houfe at Dingleber, he fat down on the 

 throne with the enfigns of royalty about him, and there 



Vol. IL 3X appointed 



