THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. € 7 i 



entire diflblution of her power. In order to counterbalance 

 this, they aflbciated to their party and council Mariam Ba- 

 rea, who had lately married Ozoro Either, and was in pof- 

 femon of the fecond province in the ftate for riches and 

 for power, and greatly increafed in its importance by the 

 officer that commanded it. Upon the death of Welled de 

 FOul, the principal fear the party of the Galla had; was* 

 that Mariam Barea fhould be brought to Gondar as Ras* 

 The union between him and Kafmati Eflite, formerly as 

 ilrong by inclination as now it was by blood, put them in 

 terror for their very exiftence, and a flroke was to be 

 {truck at all hazards that was to feparate thefe interefts 

 for ever. 



Eshte, upon taking poffemonof the province of Damot 5 

 found the Djawi, eftablifhed upon the frontiers of the pro- 

 vince, very much inclined to revolt. Notwithftanding peace 

 had been eftablimed among the Agows ever fince Nanna 

 Georgis had been defeated at the laft battle, the Galla had 

 ftill continued to rob and diflrefs them, contrary to the pub- 

 lic faith that had been pledged to them. 



Eshte was too honeft a man to fuffer this ; but the 

 truth was, the Djawi had felt the advantage of having a man 

 like the late Waragna governor of Damot ; and they wanted, 

 by all means, to reduce the minifters to the neceffity of ma- 

 king that command hereditary in his family, by Fafil his fon 

 being preferred to fucceed him. 



This Fafil, whom I mall hereafter call Waragna Fafil, a 

 name which was given to diflinguifh him from many other 

 Fafils in the army, was a-man.then about twenty- two, whom 



Efliti 



