fervices, and had the greatest opinion of his own knowledge in the ufe of fire-arms to which he did not fcruple 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 fufferd 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 leaft 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 moft ferious affairs I ever heard in Abyflinia. Guebra Mafcal, as ufual, vaunted inceffantly his fkill 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 fhooting, 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 ine. "I believe, replied I peevishly enough, Guebra Mafcal, I fhould fufpect, from your difcourfe, you neither knew men nor guns; every gun of mine in the hands of my fervants fhall 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 tallowcandle in my gun thall do more execution than an iron ball in the best of yours, with all the fkill and experience you pretend to." up, to give me a very trifling ftab, or wound, gear the crown of the head, fo that the blood trickled over my face. I had tript him up, but till then had never ftruck him. I now wrefted the knife from him with a full intention to kill him; but Providence directed better. Instead of the point, I ftruck fo violently with the handle upon his face as to leave fears, which would be diftinguished even among the deep marks of the small-pox. An adventure fo new, and fo unexpected, prefently overcame the effects of wine. It was too late to disturb anybody either in the palace or at the house of the Ras. A hundred opinions were immediately ftarted; fome were for fending 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 fhould repair immediately to the Houfe of Ayto Aylo, while the two Baalomaals were for taking me to fleep in the palace. Anthule, in whofe houfe I was, and who was therefore' moft fhocked at the outrage, wished me to ftay in his house from a fuppofition that I was feriously wounded, which all of them, feeing the blood fall over my eyes, feemed to think was the cafe, and he, in the morning, at the king's rifing, was to ftate the matter as it happened. All thefe advices appeared good when they were propofed; for my part, I thought they only tended to make bad worfe, and bore the appearance of guilt, of which-I was not concious. I now determined to go home, and to bed in my own houfe. With that intention, I washed my face and wound in vinegar, and found the blood to be already ftaunched. I then wrapt myfelf 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 houfe of Ayto Aylo, then paft midnight, fo that early in the morning, when fearce light, I faw ha D 2 He faid I was a Frank, and a liar, and, upon my immediately rifing he gave me a kick with his foot. I was quite blind with palion, feized him by the throat, and threw him on the ground, ftout as he was. The Abyhgians 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 Come to my chamber. Guebra Mafcal nad fled to the houfe of Kefla Ya us his relation; and the firft news we heard in the morning, after Ayto Aylo arrived, were, that Guebra Mafcal was in irons at the Ras's houfe. Every perfon that came afterwards brought up fome new account; the whole people prefent had been examined, and had given, without variation, the true particulars. of my forbearance, and his infolent behaviour. 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, how ever favourable a turn this had taken for me in the beginning, it might be my deftruction in the end. I asked Ayto Aylo his opinion. He feemed at a lofs to give it me; but faid, in an uncertain tone of voice, he could wish that I would not complain of Guebra Mafcal while I was angry, or while the Ras was fo inveterate against him, till fome of his friends had spoken, and appeased, at least, his first refentment. 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 fafe where he was; remember the influence of Ozoro Efther, and do not Jet us lofe a moment." "What, fays Aylo to me in great furprife, are you mad? Would you have him cut to pieces in the midst of 20,000 of his countrymen? Would be dimyou menia? that is, guilty of the blood of all the province of Tigre, through which you matt go in your way home?" Juft the contrary, faid I, nobody, has fo great a right over the Ras's anger as I have, being the perfon injured; and, as you and I can get access to Ozoro Efther when we plcafe, let us go immediately thither, and ftop the progrefs of this affair while it is not yet generally known. People that talk of my being wounded expect to fee me, I suppose, without a leg or an arm. When they fee me fo early riding in the street, all will pafs for a ftory as it should do. Would you wish to pardon him entirely."-"That goes against my heart, too, fays 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 lofe no time, get upon your mule, go with me to Ozoro Efther, I will answer for the confequences." We arrived there; the Ras was not fitting in judgment, he had drank hard the night before, on occasion of Powuffen's marriage, and was not in bed when the ftory of the fray reached him. We found Ozoro Either in a violent anger and agitation, which was much alleviated by my laughing. On her asking me about my wound, which had been reprefented to her as dangerous, "I am afraid, faid I, poor Guebra Mafcal is worse wounded than I." Is he wounded too? fays the; I hope it is in his heart." "Indeed, replied I, Madam, there are no wounds on either fide. was very drunk, and I gave him feveral blows upon the face as he deferved, ad he has already got all the chaftifement he ought to have; it was all a piece of folly." "Prodigious! faysifhe; is this fo?" "It is fo fays Aylo, and you shall hear it all by and-by, only let us ftop the propagation of this foolish ftory." He The Ras in the inftant fent for as. He was naked, fitting on a ftool, and a flave fwathing up his lame leg with a broad belt or bandage. I afked him calmly and pleasantly if I could be of any fervice to him? He looked to tell looked to me with a grin, the moft ghaftly I ever faw, as half difpleased. "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 you that myself; why do you aik Ayto Aylo? Guebra Mafcal got drunk, was infolent, and ftruck me. I was fober, and beat him, as you will fee by his face; and I have now come to you to fay 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 chaftife him on the fpot, than truft 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 excufe when you judge between man and man.” "I order you, Aylo, fays Michael, as you efteem my friendship, to tell me the truth, really as it was, and without dif guife or concealment." Aylo began accordingly to relate the whole hiftory, when a fervant called me out to Ozoro Efther. I found with her another nephew of the Ras, a much better man, called Welleta Selaffe, who came from Kefla Yafous, and Guebra Mafcal himself, defiring I would forgive and intercede for him, for it was a drunken quarrel without malice. Ozoro Ef ther had cold him part. "Come in with me, faid I, and you fhall fee I never will leave the Ras till he forgive him." "Let him punith him, fays Welleta Selaffe, 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 refufes 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, fays Michael, now perfectly cool, as foon as he faw me and Wel leta Selaffe. It is a man like you that goes far in fafety, 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 fhall turn to your honour and fecurity, and in that light only I can pafs over his infolence. "Welleta Selaffe, fays he, falling into a violent paflion in an inftant, What fort of a ftile of behaviour is this my men have adopted with ftrangers? And my ftranger, too, and in the king's palace, and the king's fervant? 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. "Come, fays the Ras, let me fee your head." I fhewed him where the blood was already hardened, and faid it was a very flight cut. "A cut, continued Michael, over that part, is mortal." "You fee, Sir, faid I, I have not even clipt the hair about the wound. It is nothing; now give me your promife you will fet 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, becaufe it is very rare that people fight with knives when they are drunk. I fcarce ever heard of it, even in the camp." "I fancy, faid I, endeavouring to give a light turn to the converfation, they have not often wherewithal to get drunk in your camp." "Not this laft year, fays he, laughing, there were no houies in the country." "But let me only merit, faid I, Welleta Selaffe's friendfhp, by making him the meffenger of good news to Guebra Maical, that he is at liberty, and you have forgiven him." "At liberty! fays he, Where is he?" In your houfe, faid I, fomewhere in irons." "That is Ether's inteligence, continued the the Ras, thefe women tell you all their fecrets, but when I remember your behaviour to them I do not wonder at it, and that confideration likewife obliges me to grant what you afk. Go, Welleta Seiaffe, 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 fee 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 Imoaked like the men; and it is impoffible to convey to the reader any idea of this bacchanalian fcene in terms of common decency. I found it neceffary to quit this riot for a fhort time, and get leave to breathe the fresh air of the country, at such a diftance as that, once a day, or once in two days. I might be at the palace, and avoid the conftant fucceffion of thofe violent fcenes of debauchery of which no European can form an idea, and which it was impoffible to efcape, even at Kofcam. Although the king's favour, the protection of the Ras, and my obliging, 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 eafy to preceive, that the caufe of my quarrel with Guebra Maical was not yet forgot. One day, when I was standing by the king in the palace, he asked, in difcourfe," Whether I, too, was not drunk in the quarrel with Guebra Mafcal, before те came to blows?" and, upon my faying that I was perfectly fober, both before and after, becaufe Anthule's red wine was finished, and I never willingly drank hydromel, or mead, he afked with a degree of keenueis, "Did you then foberly fay to Guebra Mafcal, that "Be an end of a tallow candle, in a gunî in your hand, would do more execution than an iron bullet in his ?" "Certainly, Sir, I did fo.”- -"And why did you fay this?" fays the king dryly enough, and in a manner I had not before obferved. caufe, 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 fpeaking of that, but about his gun. You will not perfuade me that, with a tallow candle, you can kill a man or a horfe."-" Pardon me, Sir, faid I, bowing very respectfully, I will attempt to perfuade you of nothing but,what you are pleafed to be convinced of: Guebra Mafcal is my equal no more, you are my master, and, while I am at your court, under your protection, you are in place of my fovereign; it would be great prefumption in me to argue with you, or lead to a converfation against an opinion that you profefs you are already fixed in." No, no, fays he, with an ait of greekindaefs, by no means, I w olyraid you would expofe yourle before bad people; what you fay to me is nothing.". "And what I fay, to you, Sir, has always been a crupulonly true as if I had been peaking to the king my native fovereign and master. Whether I can kill a an with a candle, or not. is an experiment that shoul₫ not be made. Dell me, however, what I fall before you that you may deen equivalent? piercing the table upon which your dinner is ferved, (it was of fycamore, abont three quarters of an inch thick), at the length of this room, be deemed a fufficient proof of what I advanced?" Will That is indeed more than Guebra Mafcal will do at that distance; but take great care; you don't know thefe people; they will lie themfelves all day; nay, their whole life is one lie; but of you they expect better, or would be glad to find worfe; take care." Ayto Engeden, who was then prefent, faid, “ I am fure if Yagoube fays he can do it, he will do it; but how, I don't know. Can you fhoot through my fhield with a tallow candle?" To you, Ayto Engedan, faid I, I can fpeak freely; I could fhoot through your fhield 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, faid I; I would not wish to remain for a moment longer under fo difagreeable 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." 66 The king appeared to be very anxious, and, I faw plainly, incredulous. The gun was brought; Engedan's fhield was produced, which was of a ftrong buffalo's hide. I faid to him, "This is a weak one, give me one ftronger." He fhook his head, and faid, “Ah, Yagoube, you'll find it ftrong enough; Engedan's fhield is known to be no toy,' Tecla Mariam brought fuch a fhield, and the Billetana Gueta Tecla another, both of which were most excellent in their kind. I loaded the gun before them, firft with powder, then upon it flid down one half of what we call a farthing candle; and, having beat off the handies of three fields, I put them clofe in contact with each other, and fet them all three against a poli. "Now, Engedan, faid I, when you please fay-Fire! but mind you have taken leave of your good fhield for ever." The word was given, and the gun fired. It ftruck the three fhields, neither in the most difficult nor the easiest place for perforation, fomething half way between the rim and the boss. The candle went through the three fhields with fuch violence that it dafhed itself to a thoufand pieces against a stone-wall behind it. I turned to Engedan, faying very lowly, gravely, and without exultation or triumph, on the contrary with abfolute indifference, "Did not I tell you your fhield was naught?" A great thout of applause followed from about a thousand people that were gathered together. The three fhields were carried to the king, who exclaimed in great tranfport, " I did not believe it before I faw it, and I can fcarce believe it now I have feen it. Where is Guebra Mafcal's confidence now? But what do either he or we know? We know nothing?" I thought he looked a. bathed. "Ayto Engedan, said I, we must have a touch at that table. It was faid the piercing that was more. than Guebra Mafcal could do. We have one half of the candle left ftill; it is the thinneft, weakest half, and I fhall put the wick foremoft, because the cotton is fofteft." The table being 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 fields. "By S Michael! fays Engedan, Yagoube, hereafter fay to me you can raise my father Efhte from the grave, and I will believe you." Some pricfts who were there, though furprited at first, feemed afterwards to treat it rather lightly, becaufe they thought it below their dignity to be furprifed 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 one, |