xxxiv 
APPENDIX III. 
8th of April, we set out with him for Gondar. During all this time we re- 
sided in a royal palace which belonged to his deceased father, in perfect 
. peace and tranquillity, and were plentifully provided with food. If this had 
not been the case we should have suffered much, not only from a great 
scarcity which for eight years had afflicted this country, owing to the ra- 
vages of the locusts, but from our salary, which we had received two years 
in advance, decreasing daily, owing to our numerous expenses by land and 
by sea. But the Divine Providence who never deserts those who trust in 
its bounty, was pleased to hold out for our succour the gracious and copious 
favour, not only of the Emperor, but of the Queen his mother.^ 
In all this time, which was about six months in continuance, we instructed 
many of the royal family in the Catholic faith ; and having every day in our 
house a great concourse of the principal ministers of the country, nay even 
of priests and of the common people, we gave up our time to instruct them 
all in the Christian doctrine, and that in their own Chaldean tongue, which, 
by the grace of God we had in a few months acquired ; so that many were 
enlightened and convinced by our instruction, and being troubled in their 
guilty consciences, cried out publicly, We are vile Christians, and shall 
without fail go to hell." Others even shewed themselves desirous to make 
profession of the Catholic faith ; but we, yet feeling ourselves insecure of a 
permanent footing in the kingdom, deferred it to a more favourable oppor- 
tunity. At length, after great demonstration of love from the Emperor, the 
ministers, the people, and some of the priests, we thought ourselves safe, 
and promised ourselves a copious harvest ; the Emperor having already 
destined me for his ambassador to the Apostolic See, for the advantage of 
the catholic faith in his kingdom : when, lo ! the enemy of the human race 
excited against the King and against us a great rebellion among the people; 
insomuch that the Archbishop Gofto, fearing to lose his emoluments^ 
threatened to excommunicate the King and all the people, if he did not 
immediately expel us out of the kingdom. In a word, during the night, not 
only the furious populace, but also many monks more outrageous than the 
populace, cried out to the King, rang the bells, and demanded our expul- 
sion with loud cries and threats of death. The Emperor, awakened and 
* This was the Iteghe whom Bruce afterwards met with, and the fact of this lady being 
attached to these Catholics explains many doubtful points in that author s narration. 
