THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 8 
without any covering whatever. Sebaat Laab died of a 
fever in a few days; Kefla Mariam lived, if not to fee, at leaft 
to hear, that he was revenged, after the battle of Serbraxos, 
by the difgrace and captivity of Michael. 
I wits fpare myfelf the difagreeable tafk of fhocking my 
readers with any further account of thefe horrid cruelties ; 
enough has been faid to give an idea of the character of 
thefe times and people. Blood continued to be fpilt as wa- 
ter, day after day, till the Epiphany; priefts, lay-men, young 
men and old, noble and vile, daily found their end by the 
knife or the cord. Fifty-feven people died publicly by the 
hand of the executioner in the courfe of a very few days; 
many difappeared, and were either murdered privately, or 
fent to prifons, no one knew where. 
Tue bodies of thofe killed by the fword were hewn to 
pieces and {cattered about the ftreets, being denied burial. 
I was miferable, and almoft driven to defpair, at feeing my 
hunting-dogs, twice let loofe by the carelefinefs of my fer- 
vants, bringing into the court-yard the head and arms of 
flaughtered men, and which I could no way prevent but 
by the deftru€iion of the dogs themfelves ; the quantity of 
carrion, and the ftench of it, brought down the hyznas in 
hundreds from the neighbouring mountains; and, as few 
people in Gondar go out after it is dark, they enjoyed the 
ftreets to themfelves, and feemed ready to difpure the pof- 
feffion of the city with the inhabitants. Often when I went 
home late from the palace, and it was this time the king 
chofe chiefly for converfation, though I had but to pafs the 
corner of the market-place before the palace, had lanthorns 
with me, and was furrounded with armed men, I heard 
Vou. IV. L then 
