112 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
his breach of promife made before the mountain of Hara- 
mat, that he was to levy no taxes upon that province for 
feven years, (but which he was now doing with the great- 
eft rigour before one had expired) difcontented them all. 
Tue return of Welleta Michael and Kefla Yafous from 
Samen, with about 6000 men, had confiderably ftrength- 
ened his army ; added to this, 2000 more, who came volun- 
tarily, from their love to Kefla Yafous, from Temben, where 
he was governor; thefe were picked men, partly mufque- 
teers ; there was nothing equal to them in the army. 
GusHo was advanced to Minziro. Powuffen had his 
head-quarters at Korreva, not above fixteen miles from 
Gondar. The whole plain to the lake was covered with 
troops. The weather was unfeafonably cold, and confider- 
able quantities of rain had fallen from the 23d of February 
to the 29th of March. The rebels had begun to lay wafte 
Dembea, and burnt all the villages in the plain from fouth 
to weft, making it like a defert between Michael and Fafil, — 
as far as they dared venture to advance towards either. 
This they did to exafperate Michael, and draw him out 
from Gondar; for they had moft of them great property 
in the town, and did not wifh to be obliged to fight him 
there. He bore this fight very impatiently, as well as the 
conftant complaints of people flying into the town from the 
depredations of the enemy, and {tripped of every thing. 
Tue king often afcended to the top of the tower of his 
palace, the only one to which there remains:a ftair, and 
there contemplated, with the greateft difpleafure, the burn- 
ing of his rich villages in Dembea. One day while he 
I , - was: 
