THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 229 



however, there might Hill be an enemy behind him, and 

 that he fliould be hemmed in between both, he refolved to 

 pafs, but did it in fo tumuhuous a manner that the king's 

 army had no trouble but to flaughter thofe who arrived at 

 the oppofitc bank. Great part of the cavahy, feeing the 

 fate of their companions at the ford, attempted to pafs a- 

 bove and below by fwimming : but, though the river was 

 deep and fmooth, the banks were high, and many were 

 drowned, not being able to fcramble up on the other fide. 

 Many were alfo deftroycd by ftones, and the lances of Sert- 

 za Denghcl's men, from the banks above ; fome pafled, how- 

 ever, joining Mahomet, and leaving the red of the army to 

 attempt a paflage at the ford, croflcd with the utmoft fpeed 

 lower down the river without being purfucd, and carried 

 the news of their own defeat to Adel. 



The whole Moorifli army perifhed this day except the 

 horfe, either by the fword or in the river; nor had the Moors, 

 received fo fevere a blow fmcc the defeat of Gragne by Clau- 

 dius. The king then decamped, and took poll at Zarroder, 

 on the frontiers of Adel, with a dcfign to winter there and 

 lay wafte the country, into which he intended to march as 

 foon as the fair weather returned. But it was the misfor- 

 tune of this great prince, that his enemies were fituated at 

 the two moil diftant extremities of the kingdom. For the 

 Galla attacked Go jam on the weft, at the very time he pre- 

 pared to enter Adel on the eaft. Without lofs of time, how- 

 ever, he traverfcd the whole kingdom of Abyftinia, and came 

 up with the Boren Galla upon the river Madge, but no ac- 

 tion of confequence followed. The Galla, attempting the 

 king's camp in the night, and finding themfelvcs too weak 

 to cau-y it, retreated immecUatcly into their own country. 



While 



