88 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
night by their friends to keep the beafts from them, were 
at laft fuffered to be taken privately away, .at the intercef- 
fion of the troops of Tigré, whofe countrymen they were. 
Chremation and Abba Salama were abandoned to their for- 
tune, and in part putrified; they were covered with heaps 
of ftones thrown upon them by fuch as:were pailing, and 
had no other burial. 
Tue next night, the ift of January 1771, according to or- 
der, I waited upon the king with Confu and Engedan, and 
with them Yafine: meafures were then taken for buying 
their horfes and coats of mail; the Ras had advanced part 
of the money, the reft was to be made up by the meery, or 
king’s duty, due by the Mahometan provinces, which had 
not been paid fince he went to Tigré; a Mahometan fer- 
vant of the king.was fent for from the cuftomhoufe ; with 
him was to go aman from Yafine, and with them I fent 
my letters by the hand of Soliman, a black of Ras el Feel, 
a man remarkable for his ftrength, courage, and fize, and 
very fhrewd and difcerning, under the appearance of an 
idiot: Yafine was fent with them to get a fafe conduct from 
his friend Fidele Shekh of Atbara, who was to convoy them 
to Beyla, and thence to Sennaar. | 
Ir was not without great difpute and altercation the 
king would allow me the permiflion to fend letters ; at laft, 
feeing he could do no better, it was agreed that, as an im- . 
mediate engagement between Powuflen, Gufho, and Ras 
Michael, was inevitable, I fhould fwear not to attempt to - 
leave him till that affair was fettled fome way or other; 
but the king infifted I fhould alfo take an oagh, that, fhould 
he be victorious over, or reconciled to the rebels, if the en- 
2 gagement 
