THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 287 



mong his llaughtercd followers, guefling his intention, de- 

 clined the combat, turned his horie and tied, while affairs 

 even yet appeared in his favour. This panic of the general 

 had the effe(5l it ordinarily has in barbarous armies. Nobody 

 confidered how the profpe6l of the general ifllie flood ; they 

 fled with Melchizedcc, and loft more men than would have 

 fecured them vicTiory had they ftood in their ranks. 



A BODY of troops, joined by fomc peafants of Begemder, 

 purfued Melchizedec fo clofely that they came up with him 

 and took him prifoner, together withTcnfa Chriftos, a very ac- 

 tive partizan, and enemy to Emana Chriftos. Having brought 

 them to the camp, before the Ras returned to Coga, they 

 ■were tried and condemned to die for rebellion, as traitors, 

 and the fentence immediately executed, after which their 

 heads were fent to the king. Very foon after this, Arzo,- 

 and his general Za Chriftos,- were taken and fent to the 

 king, who ordered them to be tried by the judges in com- 

 mon form, and they underwent the fame fate. 



The king was employed in the winter feafon while he refi- 

 ded at Coga, in building a. new church, called St Gabriel. 

 But the feafon of taking the field being come, he marched 

 out with his army and halted at Gogora, fending Emana 

 Chriftos and Sela Chriftos againft the rebels; thefe were not 

 in a particular clan, or province, for all the country was 

 in rebellion, from the head of the Nile round, eaftward, to 

 the frontiers of Tigre. Part of them indeed \%'cre not in 

 arms, but refufed to pay their quota of the revenue ; part of 

 them were in arms, and would neither pay, nor admit a go- 

 vernor from the king among them ; others willingly fub- 



mitted 



