ance, and which undoubtedly led to his greatness, that of Balgudda, or protector of the salt caravans, which come up from the plains of Assa Durwa; an office always conferring considerable consequence on its possessor, owing to his being entitled to a duty on every load of salt imported into the country, and from the power which it gives him of withholding this very necessary article of consumption as well as of barter, from the interior provinces. This situation he received during the short government of his father, Kefla Yasous, over the province of Tigré. On the return of Ras Michael[1] to the command, he fled to the fastnesses bordering on the salt-plain, where he remained, carrying on a predatory warfare, until the death of "the old lion," as the former is emphatically styled in the country.
During this period, while Ras Michael was seeking his life, he challenged any two chiefs in the army opposed to him to fight on horseback; and, two men of distinguished bravery having been made choice of for the purpose, he went down into the plain to meet them, and killed both with his own hand; possessing, notwithstanding his small and delicate form, such peculiar skill in the
- ↑ The following anecdotes respecting this extraordinary man may prove acceptable to every reader, who admires the very ably drawn character given of him by Mr. Bruce. On one occasion, when playing at chess, he hastily made out an order for five thousand dollars to be given to a chief, for some service he had performed, instead of five hundred, which was the usual allowance: and, on the circumstance being mentioned to him by his steward he turned round quickly and answered, 'I have said it,—let it be so,—the angel Michael hath sent it to him.'" "A chief of some note having confessed to a priest that he had committed a murder; the latter, in hopes of receiving a reward, disclosed it to the relations, and, in consequence, the former was seized and taken before Michael. What is the evidence? said the Ras. The priest stepped forward, and declared that he had repeatedly confessed the fact to him. Ras Michael, without hesitation, gave the order, 'take him to his death.' The relations immediately laid hold of the chief, and were in the act of forcing him away, when the old man, with one of his terrible looks, cried out, 'not that man, but the priest, who has dared to reveal the secrets disclosed to him in confession,' and he was instantly led out to execution." Ras Michael had so poor an opinion of what the priests could do for a man in his last moments, that he said, when on his death bed, "Let not a priest come near me; if a man cannot make up his own account, how shall weak men like these do it for him?"
