THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 549
as well as from his own confeillon, repented of his refolution as foon as we were gone, and had determined on foot to fol- low us, when he heard of this opportunity of Ozoro Efther's fervant being fent on a meffage, and that princefs was fo well pleafed with his anxiety that fhe gave him a mule that he might not retard her fervant.
This Greek had known Fafil intimately, both when he was a private man in Kafmati Efhte's time, and afterwards, when he was governor of Damot, for he was a fervant in the palace when Joas was king, as all the Greeks were; had a company of f ufileers, and one or two other fmall appoint- ments, all of which were taken from him, and from moil of the other Greeks, upon the death of the dwarf, who, 1 be- fore mentioned, was mot on the fide of Ras Michael by an unknown hand upon his firft arrival at Gondar. He now lived upon the charity of the queen- mother, and what he picked up by his buffoonery among the great men at court. We found that in Shalaka Woldo we had got a man of more underftanding than our friend Strates, but much about his equal in mimicry and buffoonery.
- %£**=* = ~ — Qft
v. iii. 3 z CHAP,
