YASOUS II. OR ADIAM SEGUED.

From 1729 to 1753.

Rebellion in the beginning of this Reign-King addicted to hunting-To building, and the Arts of Peace-Attacks Sennaar-Loses his ArmyTakes Debra Samayat-Receives Baady, King of Sennaar, under his Protection.

BESIDES the queen, mother of Yasous, Bacuffa had several other wives, and children by them; none of whom, however, had any degree of interest, or many followers. Indeed, the temper of the king led him naturally to estrange himself from every intimate connection, that could pretend to any share with him in government. And this had gone so far, that he sent his wife, a favourite as she was, and his son Yasous, to the low, hot, and unwholesome province of Walkayt, the ordinary place to which state criminals were banished, in order that they might be under the eye of Ain Egzie, one of his confidential servants, and governor of that province. It is true this was done without any mark of disgust; and the queen returned immediately by his own command; but Yasous staid at Walkayt with Ain Egzie, till he was four

years old, without the king's having shewn any anxiefor his return.

ty

The queen's first care was to call her relations to court. Her brother, Welled de l'Oul, had been a favourite of the late king, and occupied, under him, a very considerable post in the palace. Geta, her second brother, was a man of slow parts, but esteemed a good soldier; being covetous, he was not a favour

* In this account of the queen's relations, some difficulties occur, which are sufficiently perplexing. The 5th volume of the Abyssinian Annals gives a particular genealogy of the Iteghe, in four or five pages, before the history of Yasous. There can be no doubt of its authenticity, for many reasons; in particular, the modern date of the composition, and the certainty that it was written at the queen's desire, who surely knew her own kindred. As this genealogy differs in sundry respects from Mr Bruce's statement, it would appear he had omitted to consult this manuscript. The reader is here presented with an abstract of its con

tents.

The queen of Ethiopia, whose name will be long remembered as the patroness of Mr Bruce, was descended from Menas, the son of David III. in the following manner:

David had four sons; Claudius and Menas, who both ascended the throne; Ayto Jacob and Ayto Victor. David married his son Menas, when very young, to Selus-ayla, afterwards the Iteghe Adimas Mogass, daughter of the celebrated Robel Shum of Bora and Selawe. The record says, that this was expressly done as a reward for bringing the king into league with the Franks (Portuguese). By her Menas had a son, Victor, and a daughter, Theodora. Victor died very young, and greatly lamented, leaving only one child, Nasihit, a girl, by a daughter of the Shum, or governor of Bed.

Nasahit bore to Za-christos, son of Ras Sertza, son of Ras Amdo, three sons; Ayto Læca Mariam, Ayto Severos, and Ayto Theodorus. Their country was Ganz.

Ayto Laeca Mariam had, by the daughter of Guebra-sion, Amba-ras of Saman and Waag, and Shum of Lästa and Zat, a girl, Keduste-Christos, who bore to a nobleman, of the name of VOL. IV.

G

ite of the people, and less so of the king. The third was Eshte (pronounced, in that country, Shitti): he was amiable, liberal, affable, and brave, but rather given to indolence and pleasure, which alone hindered him from being a good statesman and general. He was a kind friend to strangers, a good master, and

Welke-za-selasse, a son, Esdras, and a daughter, Christosawit, the great-grandmother of the Iteghe.

Christosawit had seven children to Azage Damo, son of Azage Meceflito of Kuara and of Ambasenet in Tigre. 1st, Ozoro Julian, a daughter: 2d, Azage Dane, a son; 3d, Ozoro Sabel, a daughter; 4th, Kasmati Busiris; 5th, Shalaka Bendolaeus; 6th, Ras Nicholaus; and, 7th, Ayto Iscander, four sons.

From the two sisters, Ozoro Julian and Ozoro Sabel, springs the affinity between the queen and Gueta, Eusebius, Eshte, &c.; which, as stated in the Chronicle, may be arranged in the following order:

Ozoro Julian, to Ayto (1. Ozoro Mamet.

Waka-christos of Bula 2. Ozoro Encoi, or Welleta-kedusan. and Fatigar, bore 3 Kasmati Arkillidas.

Azage Dane had several 1. Kasmati Mammo.

12. Amaius, &c. &c.

1. Ayto Marcorius.

Ozoro Sabel, to one Ayto 2. Kasmati Gueta.

Sultan, bore

3. Ozoro Mamet.

4. Ozoro Enculale, &c.

Ozoro Encoi, to Kasmati Men- 1. Ras Welled-leoul."

ber, son of Ayto Teclahaiman-2. Welleta Georgis, or Berhan out of Kuara-daga, bore

Mogass, the Queen.

1. Ayto Ayo.

2. Kasmati Eusebius.

Ayto Marcorius, by one Ozoro 3. Kasmati Eshte.

Birotawit, had

4. Palambaras Mammo.

And two daughters.

placable enemy; stedfast to his promise, and, on all occasions, a lover of truth; a quality so very rare in Abyssinia, that it was said there had not been one, in this respect, like him, since the time of Yasous the Great. Notwithstanding this, Bacuffa liked him not,

It appears, therefore, that the queen was related to Mammo Eshte and Eusebius, only in a distant degree. As to Gueta, it is uncertain whether he was the uncle of these three, or a younger man of the same name.

All these, and a number more, were called to court, after the death of Bacuffa, to support the queen. Ozoro Julian and Encoi, her mother and grandmother, had great influence there du ring the minority of Yasous. The whole body of relations formed a party, called the Kuaragna, at the head of which was Welled-leoul, the queen's only brother. It is probably in consequence of this political fraternization that Mr Bruce may have been led into a mistake; for Welled-leoul is often mentioned in the Ethiopic Annals, as being brother to the Iteghe; the names of the rest, though they occur in every page, never have that honour.

The children of Ras Welled-leoul, are next stated to be Fitaurari Shenu, or Sanuda, with many other sons and daughters. Kasmati Gueta had Melcole Werkit, a daughter; and Welled Aragawi, Ephrem, and Shema, sons.

Kasmati Eusebius had Guebra Medehin, Azage Welled Raphael, Confu, Sahina, and Engeda. Of these, Guebra Medehin and Confu are the worthless pair of brothers that robbed Mr Bruce, on his first journey to the sources.

Kasmati Eshte's children were, Engeda and Ayto Wushen, Shallu, and a girl, Sanait-Becoul, all-beautiful. Ayto Engeda and Ayto Aylo were the two greatest friends of Mr Bruce in Abyssinia.

The Queen's family is next enumerated. The beautiful wife of Bacuffa bore him only one child, Yasous, the succeeding king. After her husband's death, she was married to Gerasmati Yasous, a son of Ozoro Welleta Israel, daughter of Yasous the Great. To him she bore, 1. Ozoro Welleta Israel, named after her grandmother; 2. Ozoro Esther; 3. Ozoro Altash.

This is the order they hold in the Chronicle; and I cannot but think it the order of their births. The name of the queen's se cond husband is different from that given by Mr Bruce.

Ozoro Welleta Israel was first married to Josedec, Kasmati of Damot, by whom she had Aylo; then to Gusha, Kasmati of Be

as being too great a favourite of the people; and, for that reason, never gave him any employment.

The next brother was Eusebius, a very brave and skilful soldier, but rash, avaricious, passionate, and treacherous, and as great an enemy to truth as his brother Eshte was a friend to it. Bacuffa, upon some slight complaint, had resolved to put him to death; and, though he was dissuaded from this, he could ne ver be so far reconciled to him, as ever to release him from prison. The fifth brother was Netcho, whom the desire of living at home, or, perhaps, a want of money to defray his expences at court, kept low and in obscurity all his lifetime. Yet he was a tried, gallant, and skilful soldier; and in later years, when I was at Gondar, was often praised as such by Ras Michael, the best judge, because the greatest general of his time; though, by reason of Netcho's private life, and absence from court, he never charged him with any important commission. Another brother was dead, and had left a son, called Mammo, a good horseman ; the only quality, as far as I know, that he possessed, to which could justly be annexed the epithet of good.

Of these brothers, Geta and Netcho were alive in my time, Eshte was dead, but had left two sons, Ayto Engedan and Ayto Aylo, who were among the most intimate of my friends, from my entering Ethiopia till my leaving it; both were brave and good, and endowed with excellent qualities. Engedan, without

gemder, son of Ras Wodage, to whom she had Hirat Yasous and Shallu.

Ozoro Esther had to Kasmati Netcho of Tcherkin, Confu Michael (in these Travels called Ayto Confu); and to Ymariam Barca, the unfortunate Kasmati of Begemder, Ayto Yasous, and Yasous Barea. Those to Ras Michael are not mentioned. Ozoro Altash had to Welled Hawaryat, the son of Michael Suhul, the Ras, a girl, Ozoro Ayabdar.