*^ 



THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. '^J 



fubmiffion, or extirpated them, and annihilated their reli- 

 gion. 



He then entered the tent-door, and took the facrament 

 from the hands of the monk, in prefence of the whole army. 

 All the principal officers did the fame, and every individual 

 of the army, with repeated ihouts, declared, that they acced- 

 ed to, and were bound by, the oath the king then had made. 

 A violent fury fpread in this inflant through the whole 

 army; they confidered that part of the king's fpeech as a re- 

 proach, which mentioned the fpoils they had taken to have 

 been bought by the blood of Chriftians, their brethren. Eveiy 

 hand laid hold of a torch, and, whether the plunder was 

 his own or his fellow-foldiers, each man fet fire, without 

 interruption, to the merchandife that was next him. The 

 whole riches of Ifat and Hadea, Fatigar and Dawaro, were 

 confumed in an inllant by thefc fanatics, who, fatisfied now 

 that they were purged from the impurity which the king 

 had attributed to their plunder, returned poor to their ftand- 

 ards, but convinced in their own confcience of having now, 

 by their facrament and expiation, become the foldiers of 

 Chrift, they thirfted no longer after any thing but the blood 

 of the inhabitants of Adel and Mara. 



Soon after, Amda Sion heard that the Moors had attacked 

 his army in Ifat two feveral nights, and that his troops had 

 fufFercd greatly, and with difficulty been able to maintain 

 themfelves in their camp. The king was then upon hi$ 

 march when he heard thefe difagreeable news ; he haften- 

 cd, therefore, immediately to their relief, and encamped at 

 night in an advantageous poft, fliort of liis main army, with 

 a view of taking advantage of this lituation, if the Moors, 



Vol. II. D as 



