lyi TRxWELS TO DISCOVER 



of them were wavering whether they fhould not join the 

 rebel. His fole dependence, then, was upon the troops dt 

 his own houfehold, veteran foldiers, well paid and cloathed, 

 and firmly attached to his perfon, and likewife upon the 

 Portuguefe. Above all, being himfelf a man of confum- 

 mate courage and prudence, he was far from judging of the 

 power of his enemy by the multitude of rabble which com- 

 pofed it. 



As foon as the armies came in prefence of each other, 

 Jacob offered the governor battle. But no fooner did the 

 impoflor's troops fee the eagernefs with which the fmall but 

 <:hofen band rulhed upon them, than they fled and difper- 

 fed ; and though Sela Chriftos had taken every precaution to 

 cut off the pretended Jacob from his ufual fculking places, 

 it was not poffible to overtake or apprehend him ; for he 

 arrived in fafety in one of the higheft and mofl inaccelTible 

 mountains of the diftrid, whence he looked down on Sela 

 Chrillos and his army without apprehenfion, having be- 

 hind him a retreat to the more diftant and lefs known moun- 

 tains of Hamazen, Ihould his enemies prefs him further. 



As long as Sela Chriftos remained with his little army in 

 that country, the impoftor Jacob continued on the higheft 

 part of the mountains, accompanied only by two or three 

 of his moft intimate friends, who being people whofe fami- 

 lies dwelt in the plain below, brought him conftant intelli- 

 gence of what palTed there. 



Sela Christos, wifliing by all means to engage the ene- 

 my, marched into a confiderable plain called Mai-aqnd; but, 

 feeing on every fide the top of each mountain guarded .by 



troops 



