THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 43 
“Turse news occafionedFafil to throw off the mafk: he now 
publicly avowed it was his intention to reftore Tecla’ Haim-. 
anout to the throne, and that, rather than fail in it, he would 
replace Ras Michael in all his pofts and dignities. He faid 
that Socinios was created for mockery only; and publicly 
afferted, that he was not fon of Yafous, but of one Mercurius, 
a private man at Degwafla; and indeed he bore not, in his 
features or carriage, any refemblance to the royal family: 
from which he pretended to be defcended. 
- oSocintos now faw that he was from henceforward to 
look upon Fafil as an enemy. Orders were accordingly 
given to fhut the gates of the palace, and to flation a num- 
ber of troops in the different courts and avenues leading 
to the king’s apartment. No perfon was to be admitted to the: 
king without examination. The drums were beat,and con- 
flant guard kept; andthree hundred Mahometans taken into: 
his fervice as mufketeers ; a meafure that gave great offence. 
Fasir had taken uphis refidence in the houfe which be- 
longed to the office of Ras, at the other end of the town; 
and, to fhew his contempt for the king, was very flightly 
guarded, his army remaining encamped under the palace. 
‘-Qne thing at this time feemed particularly remarkable: a 
§ y ; 
drum was heard ‘to beat in the houfe where Fafil was ;- 
whereas it is an.invariable rule, that no drum is fuffered. 
to beat in the capital any where but in the houfe where the 
king refides. It was faid that king Yafous, fecond fon to the 
Iteghé, or.queen-mother, and father to Joas, had left two. 
fons by a flave of the queen; indeed he had fo many by low 
people, that very little care was taken of them, not even. 
that of fending them to the mountain Wechné, One of, 
Pe hie: thefe 
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