THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 273 



tvoops of foldiers, he was afraid he had advanced too far ; 

 and, apprehenfive left he fhould be inclofed in the midft 

 of a multitude fo pofted, he began to think how he could 

 beft make his retreat before he was furrounded by fo nu- 

 merous enemies. But they no fooner faw his intention by 

 the movement of his army, than, leaving their leader as a 

 fpedlator above, they fell on all fides upon Sela Chriftos's 

 troops, who, having no longer any fafcty but in their arms, 

 began to attack the hill that was next them, which they 

 ftormed as they would do a caftle. Finding the fmall re- 

 fiftance that each of thefe pofts made, the governor divided 

 his fmall army into fo many feparatc bodies, leaving his 

 cavalry in the plain below, who, without fighting, were 

 only employed in flaughtering thofe his troops had diflodged 

 from their feparate pofts. 



The day after, the impoftoraflembling his fcattcred troops, 

 retreated towards the fca into the territory of Hamazen, be- 

 tween the counti-y of the Baharnagafli and the mountains 

 of the Habab. 



Sela Chkistos, finding that, while he purfued his vi(5bory 

 in thefc diftant parts, the fpirit of rebellion increafed nearer 

 home, rcfolved to inform the king his brother of the un- 

 promifing ftatc of his aflTairs inTigre, and the great necef- 

 fity there was of his prcfcncc there. Nor did Socinios lofe 

 a moment after receiving this intelligence from Sela Chri- 

 ftos, although it had found him, in one refped, very ill pre- 

 pared for fuch an undertaking ; for he had fent all his 

 horfe from Coga upon an expedition againft the Shangalla 

 and Gongas, nations on the north-weft border of this king- 

 dom ; fo that, when he marched from Wainadega, liis ca- 



VoL. II. M m valry 



