Though it is not the place, I must not forget to tell the reader, that, the third day after I had come to Koscam, a horseman and a letter had arrived from Michael to Hagi Saleh, ordering him to carry me to Koscam, and likewise a short letter written to me by Negadè Ras Mahomet, in Arabic, as from Ras Michael, very civil, but containing positive orders and command, as if to a servant, that I should repair to the Iteghè’s palace, and not stir from thence till future orders, upon any pretence whatever.
I cannot say but this positive, peremptory dealing, did very much shock and displease me. I shewed the letter to Petros, who approved of it much; said he was glad to see it in that stile, as it was a sign the Ras was in earnest. I shewed it to Ayto Aylo, who said not much to it either the one way or the other, only he was glad that I had gone to Koscam before it came; but he taxed Ozoro Esther with being the cause of a proceeding which might have been proper to a Greek or slave, but was not so to a free man like me, who came recommended to their protection, and had, as yet, received no favour, or even civility. Ozoro Esther laughed heartily at all this, for the first time she had shewn any inclination to mirth; she confessed she had sent a messenger every day, sometimes two, and sometimes three, ever since Welled Hawaryat had died, and by every one of them she had pressed the Ras to enjoin me not to leave Koscam, the consequence of which was the order above mentioned; and, in the evening, there was a letter to Petros from Anthulé, Janni’s son-in-law, a Greek, and treasurer to the king, pretty much to the same purpose as the first, and in no softer terms, with direction, however, to furnish me with every thing I should want, on the king’s account.
One morning Aylo, in presence of the queen, speaking to Ozoro Esther of the stile of the Ras’s letter to me, she confessed her own anxiety was the cause, but added, “You have often upbraided me with being, what you call, an unchristian enemy, in the advices you suppose I frequently give Michael; but now, if I am not as good a friend to Yagoube, who has saved my children, as I am a steady enemy to the Galla, who murdered my husband, say then Esther is not a Christian, and I forgive you.” Many conversations of this kind passed between her and me, during the illness of Ayto Confu. I removed my bed to the outer door of Confu’s chamber, to be ready whenever he should call, but his mother’s anxiety kept her awake in his room all night, and propriety did not permit me to go to bed. From this frequent communication began a friendship between Ozoro Esther and me, which ever after subsisted without any interruption.
Our patients, being all likely to do well, were removed to a large house of Kasmati Eshté, which stood still within the boundaries of Koscam, while the rooms underwent another lustration and fumigation, after which they all returned; and I got, as my fee, a present of the neat and convenient house formerly belonging to Basha Eusebius, which had a separate entry, without going through the palace. Still I thought it better to obey Ras Michael’s orders to the letter, and not stir out of Koscam, not even to Hagi Saleh’s or Ayto Aylo’s, though both of them frequently endeavoured to persuade me that the order had no such strict meaning. But my solitude was in no way disagreeable to me. I had a great deal to do. I mounted my instruments, my thermometer and barometer, telescopes and quadrant. Again all was wonder. It occasioned me many idle hours before the curiosity of the palace was satisfied. I saw the queen once every day at her levee, sometimes in the evening, where many priests were always present. I was, for the most part, twice a-day, morning and evening, with Ozoro Esther, where I seldom met with any.
One day, when I went early to the queen, that I might get away in time, having some other engagements about noon, just as I was taking my leave, in came Abba Salama. At first he did not know me from the change of dress; but, soon after recollecting me, he said, as it were, passing, “Are you here? I thought you was with Ras Michael.” I made him no answer, but bowed, and took my leave, when he called out, with an air of authority, Come back, and beckoned me with his hand.
Several people entered the room at that instant, and I stood still in the same place where I was, ready to receive the Iteghé’s orders: she said, “Come back, and speak to Abba Salama.” I then advanced a few paces forward, and said, looking to the Iteghé, “What has Abba Salama to say to me?” He began directing his discourse to the queen, “Is he a priest? Is he a priest?” The Iteghè answered very gravely, “Every good man is a priest to himself; in that sense, and no other, Yagoube is a priest.”—“Will you answer a question that I will ask you?” says he to me, with a very pert tone of voice. “I do not know but I may, if it is a discreet one,” said I, in Tigrè. “Why don’t you speak Amharic?” says he to me in great haste, or seeming impatience. “Because I cannot speak it well,” said I. “Why don’t you, on the other hand, speak Tigré to me? it is the language the holy scriptures are written in, and you, a priest, should understand it.”—“That is Geez,” says he; “I understand it, though I don’t speak it.”—“Then,” replied I, “Ayto Heikel,” the queen’s chamberlain, who stood behind me, “shall interpret for us; he understands all languages.”
“Ask him, Heikel,” says he, “how many Natures there are in Christ.” Which being repeated to me, I said, “I thought the question to be put was something relating to my country, travels, or profession, in which I possibly could instruct him; and not belonging to his, in which he should instruct me. I am a physician in the town, a horseman and soldier in the field. Physic is my study in the one, and managing my horse and arms in the other. This I was bred to; as for disputes and matters of religion, they are the province of priests and schoolmen. I profess myself much more ignorant in these than I ought to be. Therefore, when I have doubts I propose them to some holy man like you, Abba Salama, (he bowed for the first time) whose profession these things are. He gives me a rule and I implicitly follow it.” “Truth! truth!” says he; “by St Michael, prince of angels, that is right; it is answered well; by St George! he is a clever fellow. They told me he was a Jesuit. Will you come to see me? Will you come to see me? You need not be afraid when you come to me.” “I trust,” said I, bowing, “I shall do no ill, in that case shall have no reason to fear.” Upon this I withdrew from among the crowd, and went away, as an express then arrived from Ras Michael.
It was on the 8th or 9th of March I met him at Azazo. He was dressed in a coarse dirty cloth, wrapt about him like a blanket, and another like a table-cloth folded about his head: He was lean, old, and apparently much fatigued; sat stooping upon an excellent mule, that carried him speedily without shaking him; he had also sore eyes. As we saw the place where he was to light by four cross lances, and a cloth thrown over them like a temporary tent, upon an eminence, we did not speak to him till he alighted. Petros and the Greek priest, besides servants, were the only people with me, Francis[15] had joined us upon our meeting the Ras.
We alighted at the same time he did, and afterwards, with anxiety enough we deputed the Greek priest, who was a friend of Michael, to tell him who I was, and that I was come to meet him. The soldiers made way, and I came up, took him by the hand, and kissed it. He looked me broad in the face for a second, repeated the ordinary salutation in Tigrè. “How do you do? I hope you are well;” and pointed to a place where I was to sit down. A thousand complaints, and a thousand orders came immediately before him, from a thousand mouths, and we were nearly smothered; but he took no notice of me, nor did he ask for one of his family. In some minutes after came the king, who passed at some distance to the left of him; and Michael was then led out of the shelter of his tent to the door, where he was supported on foot till the king passed by, having first pulled off the towel that was upon his head, after which he returned to his seat in the tent again.
The king had been past about a quarter of a mile, when Kefla Yasous came from him with orders to the Ras, or rather, as I believe, to receive orders from him. He brought with him a young nobleman, Ayto Engedan, who, by his dress, having his upper garment twisted in a particular manner about his waist, shewed that he was carrier of a special message from the king. The crowd by this time had shut us quite out, and made a circle round the Ras, in which we were not included. We were upon the point of going away, when Kefla Yasous, who had seen Francis, said to him, “I think Engedan has the king’s command for you, you must not depart without leave.” And, soon after, we understood that the king’s orders were to obtain leave from the Ras, to bring me, with Engedan, near, and in sight of him, without letting me know, or introducing me to him. In answer to this, the Ras had said, “I don’t know him; will people like him think this right? Ask Petros; or why should not the king call upon him and speak to him; he has letters to him as well as to me, and he will be obliged to see him to-morrow.”