MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 6c 



house of his Moorish friend Negade Ras Mahomet 

 and on the 22d of May (1770) he resumed hi. 

 journey to join the king. After passing the Nile t 

 they advanced through a flat country, where the 

 grass was trodden down, the fields left without 

 cattle, and every thing bore marks that the terrible 

 Has had gone before. An awful silence reigned 

 around ; the houses were deserted, and every living 

 being had fled before the march of the destroyers. 

 For the first time Bruce felt his spirit sink at the 

 idea of having penetrated into so remote a country, 

 abounding with so many dangers, from which he 

 appeared to have little chance of extricating him- 

 self. This rashness and imprudence, added to the 

 thoughts of his friends in Scotland, greatly depressed 

 his mind ; but these uneasy reflections were speedily 

 dissipated by the sound of a general firing, which 

 indicated that the army was not far distant. 



The noise was not caused by any engagement, 

 but by the soldiers amusing themselves in shooting 

 boars, buffaloes, deer, and other wild animals that 

 were driven from their lairs at the approach of the 

 troops. A slight encounter with the enemy had 

 taken place at Derdera ; those who could not escape 

 were slain, and all sorts of wanton barbarities were 

 committed. The expedition having thus ended, the 

 king and Ras Michael determined to return to 

 Gondar. On the 26th of May they re-crossed the 

 Nile amidst much confusion, the stream being 

 swollen with rain. Rafts were employed for trans- 

 porting the women and children ; the rest swaiu 



