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of his own knowledge in the use of fire-arms to which he did not scruple to fay Ras Michael owed all his victories. Indeed it was to the good opinion that the Ras had of him as a foldier that he owed his being suffered to continue at Gondar; for he was fufpected to have been familiar with one of his uncle's wives in Tigre, by whom it was thought he had a child, at least the Ras put away his wife, and never owned the child

to be his.

This man fupped with us that night, and thence began one of the most serious affairs I ever heard in Abyssinia. Guebra Mascal, as usual, vaunted inceffantly his skill in fire-arms, the wonderful gun that he had, and feats he had done with it. Petros faid, laughing, to him, "You have a genius for shooting, but you have had no opportunity to learn. Now, Yagoube is come, he will teach you fomething worth talking of." They had all drank abundantly, and Guebra Mafcal had uttered words that I thought were in contempt of me. "I believe, replied I peevishly enough, Guebra Mafcal, I should suspect, from your difcourse, you neither knew men nor guns; every gun of mine in the hands of my fervants thall kill twice as far as yours; for my own, it is not worth my while to put a ball in it: When I compare with you, the end of a tallow candle in my gun shall do more exeCution than an iron ball in the best of yours, with all the skill and experience you pretend to."

He faid I was a Frank, and a liar, and, upon my immediately rifing up, he gave me a kick with his foot. I was quite blind with patlion, seized him by the throat, and threw him on the ground, ftout as he was. The Abysinians know nothing of either wrestling or boxing. He drew his knife as he was falling, attempted to cut me in the face, but his arm not being at freedom, all he could do was

wound, near the crown of the head, fo that the blood trickled over my face. I had tript him up, but till then had never struck him. I now wrested the knife from him with a full intention to kill him; but Providence directed better. Instead of the point, I struck so violently with the handle upon his face as to leave scars, which would be diftinguished even among the deep marks of the small-pox. An adventure so new, and so unexpected, presently overcame the effects of wine. It was too late to disturb any. body either in the palace or at the house of the Ras. A hundred opinions were immediately started; fome were for sending us up to the king, as we were actually in the precincts of the palace, where lifting a hand is death. Ayto Heikel advised that I should go, late as it was, to Kofcam; and Petros, that I should repair immediately to the House of Ayto Aylo, while the two Baalomaals were for taking me to fleep in the palace. Anthule, in whose house I was, and who was therefore most shocked at the outrage, wished me to stay in his house from a supposition that I was feriously wounded, which all of them, feeing the blood fall over my eyes, seemed to think was the cafe, and he, in the morning, at the king's rising, was to ftate the matter as it happened. All these advices appeared good when they were pro posed; for my part, I thought they only tended to make bad worse, and bore the appearance of guilt, of which-I was not on cious.

I now determined to go home, and to bed in my own house. With that intention, I washed my face and wound in vinegar, and found the blood to be already staunched. I then wrapt myself up in my cloak, and returned home without accident, and went to bed. But this would neither fatisfy Ayto Heikel nor Petros, who went to the house of Ayto Aylo, then paft midnight, so that early in the morning, when fearce light, I faw ba

Every person that came afterwards brought up fome new account; the whole people present had been examined, and had given, without variation, the true particulars of my forbearance, and his infolent behavi. our. Every body trembled for fome violent refolution the Ras was to take on my first complaint. The town was full of Tigre foldiers, and nobody faw clearer than I did, however favourable a turn this had taken for me in the beginning, it might be my destruction in the end.

I asked Ayto Aylo his opinion. He seemed at a loss to give it me; but faid, in an uncertain tone of voice, he could wish that I would not complain of Guebra Mascal while I was angry, or while the Ras was so inveterate against him, till fome of his friends had spoken, and appeased, at least, his first resentment. I anfwered, "That I was of a contrary opinion, and that no time was to be loft: remember the letter of Mahomet Gibberti; remember his confidence yesterday of my being safe where he was; remember the influence of Ozoro Efther, and do not Jet What,

us lose a moment."

favs Aylo to me in great surprise, are you mad? Would you have him cut to pieces in the midst of 20,000 of his countrymen? Would you be dimmenia? that is, guilty of the blood of all the province of Tigre, through which you must go in your way home?" Jast the contrary, faid I, nobody has fo great a right over the Ras's anger as I have, being the person injured; and, as you and I can get access to Ozoro Ether when we please, let us go immediately thither, and stop the progress of this

known. People that talk of my being wounded expect to see me, I suppose, without a leg or an arm. When they see me so early riding in the street, all will pass for a story as it should do. Would you wish to pardon him entirely."-" That goes against my heart, too, says Aylo, he is a bad man."-" My good friend, faid I, be in this guided by me, I know we both think the fame thing. If he is a bad man, he was a bad man before I knew him. You know what you told me yourself of the Ras's jealousy of him. What if he was to revenge his own wrongs, under pretence of giving me fatisfaction for mine? Come lose no time, get upon your mule, go with me to Ozoro Either, I will answer for the confequences."

We arrived there; the Ras was not fitting in judgment, he had drank hard the night before, on occafion of Powuffen's marriage, and was not in bed when the story of the fray reached him. We found Ozoro Either in a violent anger and agitation, which was much alleviated by my laughing. On her aking me about my wound, which had been represented to her as dangerous, " I am afraid, faid I, poor Guebra Mascal is worse wounded than I." Is he wounded too? says the; I hope it is in his heart." "Indeed, replied I, Madam, there are no wounds on either fide. He was very drunk, and I gave him feveral blows upon the face as he deferved, and he has already got all the chastisement he ought to have; it was all a piece of folly." digious! saysishe; is this so?" "It is fo says Aylo, and you shall hear it all byand-by, only let us stop the propagation of this foolish story."

"Pro

The Ras in the instant fent for ns. He was naked, fitting on a ftool, and a flave swathing up his lame leg with a broad belt or bandage. I asked him calmly and pleasantly if I could be of any fervice to him? He looked looked to me with a grin, the most ghastly I ever saw, as half displeased. "What! fays he, are you all mad? Aylo, what is the matter between him and that miscreant Guebra Mafcal?"" Why, faid I, I am come to tell you that myself; why do you aik Ayto Aylo? Guebra Mascal got drunk, was infolent, and struck me. I was sober, and beat him, as you will fee by his face; and I have now come to you to say I am forry that I lifted my hand againft your nephew; but he was in the wrong, and drunk; and I thought it better to chastise him on the spot, than trust him to you, who perhaps might take the af. fair to heart, for we all know your justice, and that being your relation is no excuse when you judge between man and man." " I order you, Aylo, says Michael, as you esteem my friendship, to tell me the truth, really as it was, and without difguife or concealment."

Aylo began accordingly to relate the whole history, when a servant called me out to Ozoro Efther. I found with heranother nephew of the Ras, a much better man, called Welleta Selaffe, who came from Kefla Yafous, and Guebra Mascal himself, defiring I would forgive and intercede for him, for it was a drunken quarrel without malice. Ozoro Efther had cold him part. "Come in with me, faid I, and you shall fee I never will leave the Ras till he forgive him." " Let him punith him, fays Welleta Selasse, he is a bad man, but don't let the Ras either kill or maim him." "Come, faid I, let us go to the Ras, and he shall neither kill, maim, nor punish him, if I can help it. It is my first request; if he refuses me, I will return to Jidda;

come and hear."

Aylo had urged the thing home to the Ras in the proper light-that of my fafety. "You are a wife man, says Michael, now perfectly cool, as foon as he faw me and Wel

leta Selasse. It is a man like you that goes far in safety, which is the end we all aim at. I feel the affront offered to you more than you do, but will not have the punishment attributed to you; this affair shall turn to your honour and security, and in that light only I can pass over his infolence. "Welleta Sclaffe, fays be, falling into a violent paflion in an inftant, What fort of a stile of behaviour is this my men have adopted with strangers? And my stranger, too, and in the king's palace, and the king's servant? What! am I dead? or become incapable of governing longer?" Welleta Selasse bowed, but was afraid to speak, and indeed the Ras looked like a fiend.

"A

I

"Come, fays the Ras, let me fee your head." I shewed him where the blood was already hardened, and said it was a very flight cut. cat, continued Michael, over that part, is mortal." "You see, Sir, faid I, I have not even clipt the hair about the wound. It is nothing; now give me your promife you will set Guebra Mafcal at liberty; and not only that, but you are not to reproach him with the affair further than that he was drunk, not a crime in this country." "No, truly, fays he, it is not; but that is, because it is very rare that people fight with 'knives when they are drunk. scarce ever heard of it, even in the camp." "I fancy, faid I, endeavouring to give a light turn to the conversation, they have not often wherewithal to get drunk in your camp." "Not this laft year, says he, laughing, there were no honies in the country." "But let me only merit, said I, Welleta Selaffle's friendshop, by making him the meffenger of good news to Guebra Mafcal, that he is at liberty, and you have forgiven him." "At liberty! fays he, Where is he?" " In your house, faid I, somewhere in irons." "That is Esther's inteligence, continued

the

the Ras, these women tell you all their secrets, but when I remember your behaviour to them I do not wonder at it, and that confideration likewise obliges me to grant what you afk. Go, Welleta Selasse, and free that dog from his collar, and direct him to go to Welleta Michael, who will give him his orders to levy the meery in Woggora, let him not see my face till he returns."

After dinner we flipt away to parties of ladies, where anarchy prevailed as complete as at the house of the Ras. All the married women ate, drank, and smoaked like the men; and it is impoffible to convey to the reader any idea of this bacchanalian scene in terms of common decency. I found it necessary to quit this riot for a short time, and get leave to breathe the fresh air of the country, at such a distance as that, once a day, or once in two days. I might be at the palace, and avoid the constant fucceffion of those violent scenes of debauchery of which no European can form an idea, and which it was impoffible to escape, even at Kofcam.

Although the king's favour, the protection of the Ras, and my oblig ing, attentive, and lowly behaviour to every body, had made me as popular as I, could with at Gondar, and among the Tigrans fully as much as those of Amhara, yet it was easy to preceive, that the cause of my quar rel with Guebra Maical was not yet forgot.

One day, when I was standing by the king in the palace, he asked, in discourse, "Whether I, too, was not drunk in the quarrel with Guebra Mascal, before we came to blows?" and, upon my faying that I was perfectly fober, both before and after, because Anthule's red wine was finished, and I never willingly drank hydromel, or mead, he asked with a degree of keenutis, "Did you then foberly say to Guebra Mascal, that

Be

an end of a tallow candle, in a gun in your hand, would do more execution than an iron bullet in his? "Certainly, Sir, I did fo."-" And why did you say this?" says the king dryly enough, and in a manner I had not before observed. cause, replied I, it was a truth, and a proper reproof to a vain man, who, whatever eminence he might have obtained in a country like this, has not knowledge enough to entitle him to the trust of cleaning a gun in mine." - -" O! ho! continued the king; as for his knowledge I am not speaking of that, but about his gun. You will not perfuade me that, with a tallow candle, you can kill a man or a horse."" Pardon me, Sir, faid I, bowing very refpe&fully, I will attempt to perfuade you of nothing but what you are pleased to be convinced of: Guebra Mafcal is my equal no more, you are my master, and, while I arm at your court, under your protection, you are in place of my fovereign; it would be great presumption in me to argue with you, or lead to a converfation against an opinion that you profess you are already fixed in." No, no, fays he, with an ait of greekindness, by no means, I we only raid you would expose yourier before bad people, what you say to me is nothing." "And what I fay, to you, Sır, has always been a crupulously true as if I had been ipeaking to the king my rative sovere grand matter. Whether I car killa, dan with a candle, or not. is an asperiment that should not be made. Dell me, however, what I fall before you that you may deern equivalent? Will piercing the table upon which your dinner is served, (it was of sycamore, abont three quarters of an inch thick), at the 'ength of this room, be deemed a sufficient proof of what I advanced?"

"Ah, Yagoube, Yagoube, says the king, take care what you say. That That is indeed more than Guebra Mafcal will do at that distance; but take great care; you don't know these people; they will lie themselves all day; nay, their whole life is one lie; but of you they expect better, or would be glad to find worse; take care." Ayto Engeden, who was then prefent, faid, "I am fure if Yagoube says he can do it, he will do it; but how, I don't know. Can you shoot through my shield with a tallow candle?" "To you, Ayto Engedan, faid I, I can speak freely; I could shoot through your shield if it was the strongest in the army, and kill the strongest man in the army that held it before him. When will you fee this tried?"

Why now, fays the king; there is nobody here." "The fooner the better, said I; I would not wish to remain for a moment longer under so disagreeable an imputation as that of lying, an infamous one in my country, whatever it may be in this. Let me fend for my gun; the king will look out at the window." " Nobody, fays he knows any thing of it; nobody will come."

The king appeared to be very anxious, and, I faw plainly, incredulous. The gun was brought; Engedan's shield was produced, which was of a strong buffalo's hide. I faid to him, "This is a weak one, give me one stronger." He shook his head, and faid, Ah, Yagoube, you'll find it strong enough; Engedan's shield is known to be no toy," Tecla Mariam brought fuch a shield, and the Billetana Gueta Tecla another, both of which were most excellent in their kind. I loaded the gun before them, first with powder, then upon it slid down one half of what we call a farthing candle; and, having beat off the handles of three shields, I put them clofe in contact with each other, and set them all three againft a pofi.

have taken leave of your good shield for ever." The word was given, and the gun fired. It struck the three shields, neither in the most difficult nor the easiest place for perforation, something half way between the rim and the boss. The candle went through the three shields with fuch violence that it dashed itself to a thousand pieces against a stone-wall behind it. I turned to Engedan, saying very lowly, gravely, and without exultation or triumph, on the contrary with abfolute indifference, " Did not I tell you your shield was naught?". A great thout of applaufe followed from about a thousand people that were gathered together. The three shields were carried to the king, who exclaimed in great transport, "I did not believe it before I faw it, and I can scarce believe it now I have seen it. Where is Guebra Mascal's confidence now? But what do either he or we know? We know nothing?" I thought he looked a. bashed.

4

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"Ayto Engedan, faid I, we muft have a touch at that table. It was faid the piercing that was than Guebra Mafcal could do. We have one half of the candle left still; it is the thinnest, weakest half, and I shall put the wick foremoft, because the cotton is softeft." The tablebeing now properly placed, to Engedan's utmot astonishment the candle, with the wick foremost, went thro the table, as the other had gone thro the three shields. "By S Michael! says Engedan, Yagoube, hereafter say to me you can raise my father Eshte from the grave, and I will believe you." Some priests who were there, though surprised at first, seem. ed afterwards to treat it rather lightly, because they thought it below their dignity to be surprised at any thing. They faid it was done (mucktouk) by writing, by which they meant magic. Every body embraced that opinion as an evident and rational