Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 2 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773Bruce, James
History
Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, Volume 2 (of 5): In the years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772 and 1773
Bruce, James
Egypt -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- Description and travel; Ethiopia -- History; Natural history -- Ethiopia; Nile River
In the winter, during the cessation from work, Socinios called Paez
from Gorgora to Coga, where he enlarged the territory the Jesuits
then had at Fremona. After which he declared to him his resolution
to embrace the Catholic religion; and, as Paez says, presented him
with two letters, one to the king of Portugal, the other to the pope:
the first dated the 10th of December 1607, the latter the 14th of
October of the same year. These letters say not a word of his intended
conversion, nor of submission to the see of Rome; but complain only of
the disorderly state of his kingdom, and the constant inroads of the
Galla, earnestly requesting a number of Portuguese soldiers to free
them from their yoke, as formerly, under the conduct of Christopher de
Gama, they had delivered Abyssinia from that of the Moors.
While these things passed at Coga, two pieces of intelligence were
brought to the king, both very material in themselves, but which
affected him very differently. The first was, that the traitor Za
Selassé, while making one of his incursions into Gojam, had fallen into
an ambush laid for him by the Toluma Galla, guardians of that province
on the banks of the Nile, and that these Pagans had slain him and cut
off his head, which they then presented to the king, who ordered it to
be exposed on the lance whereon it was fixed, in the most conspicuous
place in the front of his palace.
This was the end of Ras Za Selassé, a name held in detestation to
this day throughout all Abyssinia. Though his death was just such as
it ought to have been, yet, as it was in an advanced time of life, he
still became a hurtful example, by shewing that it was possible for a
man to live to old age in the continual practice of murder and treason.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account