370 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
chael at the palace ; but I faw the members of the councif 
there, and expected he was coming. Inftead of this, the 
large kettle-drum, or nagareet, called the fon, was carried to 
the king’s gate, which occafioned great fpeculation. But 
prefently proclamation was made in thefe words, given me 
by Tecla Mariam himfelf:—* Hear! hear! hear! they that — 
pretend they do not hear this, will not be the laf punifhed: 
for difobeying :—-Whereas many diforderly and idle perfons. 
Have flocked to this capital for fome days paft, and brought: 
no provifions for themfelves or others, and have frightened 
the country people from coming to market, whereby all: 
degrees of men, in this capital, are threatened with famine,. 
and fcarcity is already begun; this is, therefore, to give no- 
tice, That if any fuch people, after twelve o’clock to-morrow,. 
be found in this city, or in the roads adjoining thereto, they: 
fhall be punifhed like rebels and robbers, and their fault 
not prefcribed for feven years.” 
AND, in about ten minutes aftewards, another proclamas 
tion was made :—‘“ The king orders four hundred Galla of 
his troops to patrole the ftreets all the night, and difperfe 
fummarily all forts of people that they fhall find gathered to- 
gether; commands thirty horfe to patrole between DebraTzai 
and Kolla, thirty on the road to Woggora, and thirty on that to. 
Emfras, to protect our fubjects coming to market, and going: 
about their other lawful bufinefs : They that are wife wilk 
keep themfeives well when they are fo.” There was no need. | 
of a fecond proclamation. The monks were all wife, and. 
returned in an inftant every man to his home. The Galla 
were mentioned to terrify only, for they did not exift,. 
Ozoro Efther having cleared the palace of that nation; but 
the monks knew there would be found people in their place 
4, every, 
