THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 6 57 



could ferve him. He pretended to no precedency or pre- 

 eminence at court, not even fuch as was due to the rank of 

 his place, but behaved as a ftranger that had no fixed abode 

 among them. 



One day, dining with Kafmati Geta, the queen's brother, 

 who was governor of Samen, and drinking out of a com- 

 mon-glafs decanter called Brulhe, when it is the privilege 

 and cuftom of the governor of Tigre to ufe a gold cup, be- 

 ing aiked, Why he did not claim his privilege ? he faid, All 

 the gold he had was in heaven, alluding to the name of the 

 mountain Samayat, where his gold was furrendered, which 

 word fignifies Heaven. The king, who liked this kind of 

 jefts, of which Michael was full, on hearing this, fent him 

 a gold cup, with a note written and placed within it, " Hap- 

 py are they who place their riches in heaven ;" which Mi- 

 chael directed immediately to be engraved by one of the 

 Greeks upon the cup itfelf. What became of it I know 

 not ; I often wifhed to have found it out, and purchafed it. 

 I faw it the£rlt day he dined, after coming from council, at 

 his return from Tigre, after the execution of Abba Salama ; 

 but I never obferved it at Serbraxos, nor fmce. I heard, in- 

 deed, a Greek fay he had fent it by Ozoro Either, as a pre- 

 fent to a church of St Michael in Tigre. 



Enderta was now given him in addition to the province 

 of Tigre, and, foon after, Sire and all the provinces between 

 the Tacazze and the Red Sea ; fo he was now mailer of near 

 half of AbyfTmia. 



The reft of this king's reign was fpent at home in his 



ufual amufements and occupations. Several fmall expedi- 



Vol, II. 4 O tions 



