2094  “PRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
| ‘Gondar, and who all welcomed me with the greatelt de- 
smontftrations of joy, as if I had come from a long journey. — 
Iwas then taken to an inner apartment, where, to my 
great furprife, inftead of Ayto Confu, | faw his mother, Ozo- 
ro Efther, fitting on a couch, and at ‘her feet the fecretary’s 
daughter, the beautiful Tecla Mariam ; and, foon after, the 
fecretary himfelf,and feveral others belonging to the court. 
After having made a profound: obeifance, “ Ozoro Efther, 
faidI, I cannot {peak for furprife. What is the meaning of 
your having left Gondar to come into this wildernefs? As 
for Tecla Mariam, Iam not furprifed at feeing her; 1 know 
fhe at any time would rather die than leave you; but that 
you have both come hither without Ayto Confu, and in fo 
fhort a time, is what I cannot comprehend ”---“ There is no- 
thing fo ftrange in this, replied Ozoro hither; the troops of 
Begemder have taken away my hufband, Ras Michael, God, - 
knows where; and, therefore, being now a fingle woman, 
Tam refolved to go to Jerufalem to pray for my hufband, 
and to die there, and be buried in the Holy Sepulchre. You 
would not ftay with us, fo we are going with you. Is there 
any thing furprifing in all this ?? 
“ Bur tell me truly, fays Tecla Mariam, you that know 
every thing, while peeping and poring through thefe long 
glaffes, did not you learn by the ftars that we were to meet 
you here ?”---“ Madam, anfwered I, if there was one ftar in 
the firmament that had announced to me fuch agreeable 
news, I fhould have relapfed into the old idolatry of this’ 
country, and worfhipped that ftar for the reft of my life.” 
Breakfaft now came in ; the converfation took a very lively 
surn, and from the fecretary I learned that the matter ftood 
a * + ‘thus: 
