544 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
forerunner of death; and adjured me, by every claim of 
friendfhip that fhe had upon me, to return ere it would be 
too late, She, moreover, pledged herfelf that her nephew, 
Aylo of Gojam, fhould immediately carry me to the head 
of the Nile the moment fhe was recovered. Upon clofer inter- 
rogation, I found that, being abandoned as it were entirely 
to Fafil’s difcretion, by the retreat of Gufho and Powuflen her 
friends, and the abfence of her hufband Ras Michael, fhe 
dreaded falling into the hands of Fafil, who, fhe well knew, 
was acquainted how active fhe had been in inftigating Mi- 
chael to avenge the blood of her late hufband Mariam Barea, 
by the effufion of that of every Galla unfortunate enough 
to fall into his hands. Befides, the part her mother the 
Iteghé had acted in fettling that wretch Socinios upon the 
throne, gave her the very beft-founded apprehenfions that 
~ Michael’s refentment would have no bounds; and he had de- 
clared fo by frequent meflages, (the laft a very brutal one) 
that he would hang Socinios, and her mother the Iteghé, with 
their heads downmoft, upon the fame tree, before the king’s. 
houfe, the very day that he entered Gondar. It was well 
known, befides, to his wife Ozoro Efther, and to the whole 
kingdom, that his performance upon thefe occafions never 
fell fhort of his threatnings. From all this, and a great fen- 
fibility of mind, Ozoro Efther, worn out by her late ficknefs, 
and by want of fleep, exercife, and nourifhment, had fallen 
into a very dangerous fituation, and of a very difficult Ee 
even though the caufe was perfectly known. 
I suarr not trouble the reader with what paffed in my 
mind at this juncture. I do believe the purfuit I was then 
engaged in was the only one which I would not have in- 
ftantly abandoned upon fuch afummons. Befides the fin- ~ 
3 cere 
~~. 
