20 
TRAVELS IN ABYSSINIA. 
his majesty assured them, that, if the Abuna should 
give any such orders, they would never hesitate to 
prefer the apostolic authority. 
Two days after, when the ambassadors had gone 
to bed, they were awaked by an order to attend up- 
on the Prete. They were introduced with the 
usual ceremonies, when, after some conversation, 
the Prete announced that permission was granted 
them to leave Abyssinia, and return to Portugal. 
Immediately after this interview, the king began 
a journey, in which he was accompanied by the em- 
bassy. They came to a great monastery, called 
Machan Celacen, or the Trinity, where they had 
an opportunity of witnessing the most august ce- 
remonies of the Abyssinian religion. The first 
was baptism, which is here annually administered. 
It was performed in an artificial lake or pond, 
made of such a depth, as to take grown persons up 
to the neck. Each individual descended by steps 
till only his head appeared above the surface, when 
an old priest, who was almost frozen to death by 
standing all night naked in the lake, came and put 
it thrice under water, which constituted the cere- 
mony. The king, the queen, and the Abuna, had 
a piece of cloth round the waist ; but all the others, 
both men and women, deemed such a covering su- 
perfluous. The next ceremony was the admission 
by the Abuna into priest's orders. The number on 
whom this honour was conferred amounted t© 
