48 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



This prince, hearing that Amda Sion, inftead of returning, 

 as was ufual in the rainy feafon, into Abyflinia, had deter- 

 mined to continue to ravage his whole country, had not, 

 on his part, been remifs in preparing means to refift him ; 

 and he had aflembled, from every province, all the forces 

 they could raife, to make one laft effort againft their com- 

 mon enemy. 



Amda Sign, therefore, had fcarcely retired from the deftrue- 

 tion of Talab, when the king of Adel (become now defperate 

 by being fo long a fpedlator of the ruin of his kingdom) 

 marched haftily to meet him, with much lefs precaution than 

 his own fituation, and the charafter of his enemy, required. 

 Amda Sion, whofe whole wifh was to bring the Moors to an 

 engagement as often as occafion prefented, left off his plun- 

 dering upon the firft news that the king of Adel had taken 

 the field, and, allowing him to choofe the ground on which 

 he was to fight, the next day he marched againft him, having 

 (as fure of victory) firft detached bodies of horfe to intercept 

 thofe of the Moors that fliould fly when defeated ; For no 

 general was more provident than this king for the deftruc- 

 tion of his enemy. He then led his troops againft the king 

 of Adel, and, fpurring his horfe, was already in the midft of 

 the Moorifh army before the moft adive of his foldiers had 

 time to follow him. The Abyllinians, as ufual, threw them- 

 felves like madmen upon the Moors, at the fight of the 

 king's danger. The king of Adel was defeated with little 

 refiftance : that unfortunate prince himfelf was flain upon 

 the fpot, and the greateft part of his army deftroyed (after 

 they thought themfelves fafe) by the ambuflics of frelli horfe 

 the king had placed in their rear before the battle. 



The 



