334 
CHELICUT 
Mr. Brace remained in the country, Dofter Esther resided at 
Gondar, engaged in the pursuit of his studies, being intimately 
acquainted with the former, whom he was in the habit of visiting 
every three or four days. As he appeared to speak in very 
friendly terms respecting that traveller, and to possess a more 
perfect recollection of the events which occurred at that time, 
than any other of the natives I conversed with, I shall in this place 
introduce the information I received from him on these subjects ; 
which, in reality, contains a fair abstract of what is recollected in 
Abyssinia respecting Mr. Bruce. 
When Mr. Bruce first arrived in the country, Ras Michael, 
who was in possession of full power, was absent from Gondar ; 
but on receiving intelligence of Mr. Bruce's arrival, he sent for 
Sidee Petros, and Paulus, two Greeks, who gave so favourable an 
account of him and of his religion,"' which they affirmed was 
the same with their own,'' that the Ras was induced to treat him 
with great attention. He also gained at the same time great repu- 
tation from curing one of Ras Michael's children, and Ayto Confu, 
who were then ill of the small-pox. Ayto Aylo, an elderly 
man, who uniformly shewed himself the friend of all white men, 
became his patron. The Iteghe also took him under her protec- 
tion, and Ozoro Esther became much attached to him. Dofter 
Esther had heard of a quarrel which had occurred in the king's 
house, between Mr. Bruce and Guebra Mascal, but he did not 
know the occasion of it, as it was privately made up. He de- 
clared, that Mr. Bruce did not speak the Tigre language, nor 
much of the Amharic ; that he could read the characters in the 
books of the country on his first arrival, but did not possess any 
