57 o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and governor of Walkayt. He had placed alfo with them 

 an Abyffinian prieft, who had been in Jerufalem, and was 

 well-affected to the Romifh faith, to be their interpreter, 

 ftay with them always, and manage their interefts, while he 

 himfelf, dealing frequently from the hunting - matches, 

 heard mafs, and received the communion, returning back 

 to his camp, as he nattered himfelf, unperceived. Thefe 

 meetings with the priefts were not, however, fo well con- 

 cealed but that they came to the knowledge of many people 

 about court, both feculars and clergy. But the king's cha- 

 racter, for feverity and vigilance, made everybody confine 

 their thoughts, whatever they were, within their own breafls* 



The employment of this year was a fliort journey to Iba- 

 ba, a large market-town, where there is a royal refidence, 

 below Maitfha, on the weft, or Gojam fide of the Nile, from 

 which it is about three days diflance. From this he returned 

 again, and went to Tcherkin, a fmall village in Kolla, be- 

 yond Ras el Feel, in the way to Sennaar, the principal a- 

 bode of the elephant. But, in the firft day's hunting, Yared r 

 mailer of his houfehold, and a confiderable favourite, being 

 torn to pieces by one of thefe quadrupeds, he gave over the 

 fport, and returned very forrowful to bury him at Gon- 

 dar, leaving three of his fervants to execute a defign he 

 had formed againft the Baafa in that neighbourhood. 



From the conilant interruptions Ouftas had met with in 

 all thefe hunting-matches, and his fuccefs, notwithflanding, 

 whenever he had himfelf attended, the divining monks had 

 prophefied his reign was to be fliort, and attended with 

 much bloodihed; nor were they for once diftant from the 

 truth ; for, in the month of January 1 714, while he was over- 

 look- 



