64.2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 



hands of; the Moors. Ras Welled dci'DuPs army, confifting 

 of 18,000 -..-of .their fellow-citizens, was lying dead upon the 

 Dender. It was no matter; they had got the fpeaking cru- 

 cifix, but had paid 8000, ounces of gold for it. . Still it was 

 no matter; they had got the crown of thorns.,. The priefts , 

 made proceffions from church- to church', ringing hallelu- 

 jahs and fongs of thankfgiving, when -they fhould have- 

 been in fackcloth and allies, upon their knees deprecating : 

 any furtherchauifement upon their pride, cruelty, and pro- 

 fanenefs. All Gondar was drunk, with joy; and Yafous 

 himfelf was aftonifhed to fee- them ringing the fong of .Sen*- 

 naar much more willingly than that of Kofcam. . 



At this time died Abuna Chrillodulus; and it was cuftom-. 

 ary for the king to advance the money to defray the expence 

 of bringing a fucceilbr. But Yafous's- money was all gone 

 to Venice for mirrors ; and, to defray the expence of bring- - 

 ing a new Abuna, as well as of-, redeeming of the facred: 

 reliqucs, he laid a fmall tax upon the churches, faying 

 merrily, " that the Abuna and the crolTes were to be main- 

 tained, and repaired by the public ; but it was incumbent : 

 upon the church to purchafe new ones when they were : 

 worn out." 



Tnroi>oRifs,prieft of Debra Selalo, Likianos of Azazo, and • 

 Georgis called Kipti, were configned to the care of three 

 Mahometan merchants and brokers at court, whofe names , 

 were Hamet Ali, Abdulla, and Abdelcader, to g,o to Cairo and I 

 fetch a. fucceiTor for Chriflodulus. They arrived at Hama- 

 zen on April 29th 1743, where the Mahometan guides chofe^ 

 rather to pafs the winter- feafon than at Mafuah, as at that; 

 place they were apprehenfive they would fuller extortions 



and 



