CHELICUT. 
armour ; but these were commanded by Idris^ a Musselmaun^ 
and not by Mr. Bruce, the latter having never been actually 
engaged in war, though he was present during one battle.* Kas 
Michael was attached to him, but seldom gave him any thing. 
He resided partly at Koscam, and occasionally at a house near 
Kedus Raphael, given him by the Emperor, to which latter he 
seemed much attached, and he often visited the Abuna. No 
shummut," or district" was ever given him : though he was 
said to have frequently asked for the government of Ras el Feel ; 
which was at one time held by Netcho, and subsequently by Ayto 
Confu. After Ras Michael's disgrace, Mr. Bruce returned home 
by way of Sennaar. 
Dofter Esther likewise assured me, that Amha Yasous, Prince 
of Shoa, never visited Gondar during the period of Mr. Bruce's 
stay ;t messengers sometimes were sent from Shoa and Efat, with 
* This circumstance is corroborated by the original memoranda of Mr. Bruce, page 6,9, 
Vol. VII. last edition, where no mention of his being concerned in these battles is foundj but 
on the 24th of March, an observation is made, that " I got leave from the king to see this 
battle," which is supposed to be the second battle of SerbrjJxos ; there being various mis-r 
takes in the whole of the dates from May, 1770, till December, 1771, in Mr. Bruce's 
work, (Vide Mr. Murray's observations, p. 73, Vol. VII.) who adds, " no cause can be 
assigned for that confusion, except the extreme indolence with which Mr. Bruce com 
" posed his work, about sixteen years after the events which are the subjects of it. It 
could answer no purpose of vanity or interest, to place the fall of Michael in May, 
" rather than in March. But in the latter part of his days he seems to have viewed the 
" numerous adventures of his active life as in a dream, not intheir natural state as to 
** time and place^ hut under the pleasing and arbitrary change of memory meltbig 
into imagination.^' 
t These observations of Dofter Esther are strongly confirmed by the fact, that no ac- 
count of the visit of Amha Yasous is to be found in Mr. Bruce's original memoranda, 
(vide appendix, Vol. VII. and the story of the book, said to have been received from 
