62 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
‘taking an adverfe turn while befieging the mountain Ha- 
ramat; that the Abuna, Itchegué, and Acab Saat, had fo- 
lemnly excommunicated the king, Ras Michael, and all 
their adherents, declaring them accurfed, and abfolving all 
people from their allegiance to Tecla Haimanout. But as 
foon as the king began his march from Tigré, application 
for pardon was made through every channel poflible, and 
it was not without great difficulty that Ras Michael could 
be brought to pardon them, chiefly by the entreaty of Ozo- 
ro Efther. But this mortification was. prefcribed to them 
as a condition of forgivenefs, that they fhould meet the 
king at Mariam-Ohha, not with drums and crofles, or a re- 
tinue, but in the habit and appearance of fupplicants.. Ac- 
cordingly they both came by the time the king had alight- 
ed, but they brought no tent with them, nor was any 
pitched for them, nor any honour fhewn them. 
Tue Abuna had with him a prieft, or monk, on a mule, 
and two beggarly-looking fervants on foot; the Itchegué 
two monks, that looked like fervants, diftinguifhed by a 
cowl only on their heads; they were both kept waiting 
till paft three o'clock, and then were admitted, and fharply 
rebuked by the Ras: they after went to the king, who pre- 
fently difmiffed them without faying a word to either, or 
without allowing them to be feated in his prefence, which 
both of them, by their rank, were intitled to be. I afked the 
Abuna to make ufe of my tent to avoid the fun: this he 
willingly accepted of, was _creft-fallen a little, fpoke very 
Jowly and familiarly ; faid he had always a regard for me, 
which I had no reafon to believe; defired me to {peak fa- 
vourable of him before the King and the Ras, which I pro- 
muied faithfully todo. I ordered coffee, which he drank 
with 
