THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. s^ 



the Mahometan mofques to the ground, to dcilroy all the 

 grain, burn the villages, and put the people to the fvvord,which 

 ■was executed accordingly. The king then decamped the 

 fourth of July ; and, paffing the great river (Zorat) came to. 

 the country of the Oritii, and took up his quarters there. 

 The people of this province were in the very woi^ reputa- 

 tion for cruelty, and hatred of the Chriftian name. They 

 were perpetually making incurfions into the Chriftian vil- 

 lages, and thofe that fell alive into their hands, they either 

 caftrated, cut off. their nofe or cars, or otherwife mangled 

 them. 



The king, to vindicate the feverity he was about to 

 exercife, ordered all thofe people, who had fufFered in this 

 manner, to be colletflcd and brought before him. The 

 number appeared very conliderable ; and, having inquired 

 in what occupations they had been employed, they anfwer- 

 ed, that their bufinefs was to cut down wood, draw and 

 fetch water, and fome of them to take care of the Moorifti 

 women. Violently affeded with this, he called his princi- 

 pal officers, and "commanded them, that, when he decamp- 

 ed with his army the next day, fmall parties ftiould remain 

 in ambufh on each fide of the town. The king, early in 

 the morning, marched out with found of trumpet; and the- 

 Moors, thinking the army gone, returning to tlicir houfcs,. 

 were fet upon by the parties, and deflroyed. 



The- next place the king came to was Haggara,. where he 

 ftaid eight days, and celebrated there the fcaft of the Crofs ; 

 flirrounding his camp with palifades, as if he v\'as to ftay 

 there a confiderable time. Here he made his Ibldiers depo- 

 fit all their plunder, leaving it under the care of a weak; 



guard;^. 



