150 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
of age, was not with his grandfather in the army, nor was 
he then at home, but at Gondar. However, his mother, 
Ozoro Welleta Michael, was at home, and her houfe juft on 
the hill above. One of the king’s fervants had ftolen away 
privately, and told her what had happened. The fame 
evening, a party was fent down to the village, who took 
the ringleaders and carried them away, and left us for the 
night. They brought us a prefent alfo of provifions, and 
excufes for what had happened, warning us to be upon 
our guard the reft of the way, but they gave us pofitive af 
furance, at the fame time, that no action had happened be- 
tween Fafiland Ras Michael; on the contrary, it was con- 
fidently reported, that Fafil had left Buré, and retired to Met- 
chakel, where, probably, he would repafs the Nile into his 
own country, and ftay there till the rains fhould oblige Mi- 
chael to return to Gondar. | | 
On the 22d, we left Selech-lecha at feven o’clock in the 
morning, and, at eight, paffed a village two hundred yards 
on our left, without feeing any one; but, advancing half a 
mile further, we faw a number of armed men from {fixty to 
eighty, and we were told they were refolved to oppofe our 
paflage, unlefs their comrades, taken the night before, were 
releafed. The people that attended us on the part of Welle- 
ta Michael, as our efcort, confidered this as an infult, and 
advifed me by all means to turn to the left to another vil- 
lage immediately under the hill, on which the houfe of 
Welleta Michael, mother to Welleta Gabriel their governor, 
was fituated ; as there we fhould find fufficient afliftance to 
force thefe opponents toreafon. We accordingly turned to 
the left, and marching through thick bufhes, came to the 
top of the hill above the village, in fight of the governor's 
4 houfe, 
