666 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



was commanded by a young Armenian not 30 years of 'age* 

 He had been left in Abyflinia by his father in Yafous's time, 

 and care had been taken of him by the Greeks, Yafous 

 had diftinguifhed him by feveral places while a mere youth, 

 and employed him in errands to Mafuah and Arabia, by 

 which he became known to Ras Michael. Upon the death 

 of Yafous, the Iteghe put him about her grandfon Joas, as 

 Baalomal, which is, gentleman of the bed-chamber y or, companion to 

 the king. He then became Afaleffa. el Camifha, which means 

 groom of the fole, but at laft was promoted to the great place 

 of Billetana Gueta Dakakin, chamberlain^ or majler of the' 

 honfehold, the third poll in government, by which he took 

 place of all the governors of provinces while in Gon- 

 dar. 



There is no doubt Joas would have made him Ras, if he 

 had reigned as long as his father. Befides his own lan- 

 guage, he underload Turkifh, Arabic, and Malabar, and was 

 perfect mailer of the Tigre. But his great excellence was 

 his knowledge of Amharic, which" he was thought to fpeak 

 as chaftely and elegantly as Ras Michael himfelf. He is re- 

 ported likewife to have poifeiTed a fpecies of jurifprudence,, 

 whence derived I never knew, which fo pleafed the Abyf- 

 iinians, that the judges often requeiled his attendance on 

 the king ; at which time he fat at the head of the table, 

 where it is fuppofed the king would place himfelf did he 

 appear perfonally in judgment, (which, as it may be learn- 

 ed from divers places in this hiftory, he never does); certain 

 mornings in the week, therefore, he fat publicly in the 

 market-place, and gave judgment foon after the break o£ 

 day. 



I SAW 



