THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 491 
ing, he had found one of the king’s toes, and part of his 
foot, not quite covered with earth, from the hafte the mur- 
derers were in when they buried him; thefe he had put pro- 
perly out of fight, and conftantly ever after, as he faid, had 
watched the place in order to hinder the grave from being 
difturbed, or any other perfon being buried there. 
| 
Azout the beginning of Oétober, Guebra Selaflé, a fer- 
vant of the king and one of the porters m the palace, came 
on a meflage to the queen. It-was a laconic one, but very 
eafily underftood.—“ Bury your boy, now you have got him ; 
or, when I come, I will bury him, and fome of his relations 
with him.” Joas, upon'this, was privately buried. As this 
Selaflé was a favourite of mine, who took care of my fhoes 
when I pulled them off to go into the audience-room, I 
waited impatiently for this meffenger’s coming to my apart- 
ment, which he did late in the evening. I was alone, and 
he advanced fo foftly that I did not at firft hear or know 
_ him; but, when the door was fhut, he began to give two or 
three capers; and, pulling out a very large horn, “ Drink! 
‘drink! G—d d—n! repeating this two or three times, and 
brandifhing his horn over his head. Selafié, faid I, have you 
loft your fenfes, or are you drunk? you ufed to be a fober 
_man.’— And fo fam yet, fays he, I have not tafted a mor- 
fel fince noon; and, being tired of running about on my 
affairs, | am: now come to you for my fupper, as lam fure 
you'll not poifon me for my mafter’s fake, nor for my own 
either, and I have now enemies enough in Gondar.”—* I 
then afked, How is the king ?”—“ Did not you hear, faid he— 
Drink !—the king told me to fay this to you that you might 
know me to be a true meflenger.” And an Irifh fervant 
of mine, opening the door in the inftant, thinking it was 
3Q2 I that 
