4h TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
thefe, after the murder of Joas, had appeared, in Gojam, re- 
folved to try his fortune; but he was apprehended by the 
‘governor of that province, fent to Gondar, and then to Wech- 
né. It wasfaid the other was with Fafil, in Gondar; that 
the drum that then beat in Fafil’s houfe announced his 
{peedy intention of making him king: all was confufion. 
within the palace, but the Ras kept up a ftrict police in the 
town. 
Ir was then towards the end of November, when, by me- 
diation of the Abuna, the Queen, and the Itchegué, peace 
was unexpectedly made between Socinios and Fafil; the 
latter{wearing allegiance to Socinios as to his only fovereign, 
and the Abuna pronouncing excommunication upon either 
of them which fhould become the enemy of the other, 
What was the intention of this farce I never yet could learn ; 
for the very next day Fafil deprived Gufho and Powuflen of 
their governments of Amhara and Begemder, which was 
an exprefs proof that his intention ftill was to reftore 
‘Tecla Haimanout. The doors of the king’s palace were again 
immediately fhut, and figns of hoftilities commenced as be- 
fore. | 
I was dining with Ozoro Efther, when a meflenger ar~ 
rived from Coque Abou Barea, with a complaint to the queen 
that he was on his march to Gondar, to pay his allegiance 
to Socinios, and bring him the tribute of his province, when 
he received a meflage from Fafil to return the greateft part 
of his troops; but that, defiring to be as ufeful as poffible 
in preventing the coming of Michael, he fo far difobeyed 
that order as to bring with him a confiderable body of 
the beft of his foldiers, fending the reft home under the 
conduct 
