THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 33 



utterly extirpated throughout the world. Full of this idea, 

 on the feaft of Ras Werk, in the month of July, the army 

 pafTed the Yafs, a large river of the kingdom of Mara, and 

 encamped there. The troops were alarmed, the night after 

 their arrival, by a piece of intelligence which proved a 

 falfehood. 



A WOMAN, whofe father had been a Chriftian, faid, that 

 flie had very lately left the Moorifli camp ; that the enemy 

 wereatnogreat diflance, andonly waiieda night of ftorm and 

 rain to make a general attack upon the king's army ; and 

 the clouds threatening then a night of foul weather, it was 

 not doubted but the engagement was thereupon immedi- 

 ately to follow. It blcvv', then, fo violent a ftorm, that 

 the king's tent, and moft of thofe in the camp, were thrown 

 down, and thefoldiers were in very great confufion, imagin- 

 ing, every moment, the Moors ready to fall on them. But 

 whether the ftory was a falfehood, or the ftorm too great 

 for the Moors to venture out, nothing happened that night, 

 nor, indeed, during their ftay in that ftation. 



At this time a number of priefts and others came out 

 of curiofity to fee tlieir king making conquefts of provinces 

 and people till then unknown to them even by name : fe- 

 veral large detachments of frefli troops from Abyffinia alfo 

 arrived, and joined the army. Upon this, Amda Sion ad- 

 vanced a day's journey farther into Mara, and took a ftrong 

 poft, refolving to maintain himfelf there, and, by detach- 

 ments, lay the whole country defolate. This place is called 

 Dajfu There was neither river, however, nor fpring near it, 

 but only water procured by digging in the fand, being what 

 comes down from the fides of the mountains in the rainy 

 Vol. II. E fcafon, 



