THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 6$$ 



Joas himfelf ; and from the palace, attended by two hun- 

 dred foldiers, and all the people of note in the town, he 

 went ftraight to take £offeffion of the houfe which is parti- 

 cularly appropriated to his office, and fat down in judgment 

 with the doors open. 



Marauding parties of foldiers had entered at feveral parts 

 of the town, and begun to ufe that licence they had been ac- 

 cuftomed to on their march, pilfering and plundering houfes, 

 or perfons that feemed without protection. Upon the firfl 

 complaints, as he rode through the town, he caufed twelve 

 of the delinquents to be apprehended, and hanged upon 

 trees in the ftreets, lining upon his mule till he faw the 

 execution performed. After he had arrived at his houfe, 

 and was feated, thefe executions were followed by above 

 fifty others in different quarters of Gondar. That fame 

 day he eftablifhed four excellent officers in four quarters 

 of the town. The firft was Kefla Yafous, a man of the 

 greatell worth, whom I fhall frequently mention as a friend 

 in the courfe of my hiftory ; the fecond, Billetana Giieta 

 Welleta Michael, that is, firft mailer of the houfehold to the 

 king. He had given that old officer that office, upon fuper- 

 feding Lubo the king's uncle, without any confent afked 

 or given* He was a man of a very morofe turn, with whom 

 I was never connected. The third was Billetana Gueta Te- 

 cla, his fitter's fon, a man of very great worth and merit, 

 who had the foft and gentle manners of Amhara joined to 

 the -determined courage of the Tigran. 



Michael took upon himfelf the charge of the fourth di- 



ilrict He did not pretend by this to erect a military go- 



4 R 2 vernment 



