60 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
any punifhment upon me that can poflibly equal the plea-. 
fure I feel this day at feeing you fitting there.” He fmiled 
with great good nature, giving me firft the back, and then 
the palm of his hand to kifs. He then made me a fign to 
ftand in my place, which I immediately did for a moment; ~ 
and, feeing he was then upon bufinefs,which I knew nothing ~ 
of, I took leave of him, and could not help reflecting, as I 
‘went, that, of all the vaft multitude then in my fight, I was,, 
perhaps, the only one deftitute either of hope or fear. 
~ Att Gondar, and the neighbouring towns and villages, — 
had poured out their inhabitants to meet the king upon his. 
return. The fear of Ras Michael was the caufe of all this ; 
and every one trembled, left, by being aoa he fhould be 
thou ght a favourer of Socinios. 
Tue fide of the hill, v which flopes gently from Beleffen, is: 
here very beautiful ; it is covered thick with herbage down 
to near the foot, where it ends in broken rocks. ‘The face 
of this hill is of great extent, expofed to the W. and S. W.; 
a fmall, but clear-running ftream, rifing in Beleffen, runs 
through the middle of it, and falls into the Mogetch. It is 
not confiderable, being but a brook, called Mariam-Obha, 
(z. e. the water of Mariam) from a church dedicated to the 
Virgin, near where it rifes in Beleffen ; an infinite number 
of people fpread themfelves all over the hill, covered with 
cotton garments as white as fnow. The number could not 
be lefs than 50 or 60,000 men and women, all ftrewed upon 
the grafs promifcuoufly. Moft of thefe had brought their 
victuals with them, others trufted to their friends and ac- 
quaintances in the army; the foldiers had plenty of meat; 
as foon as the king had crofled the Tacazzé all was lawful 
prize 3; 
