THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 3% 



tipon the look-out likewife. Thefe, upon feeing Keba Chri- 

 ftos's horfemen, returned immediately to their mafter, 

 and told him that they had feen armed men, and concei- 

 ved them to be the foldiers of Keba Chriftos. To this in- 

 telligence Tecla Georgis anfvvered, That Keba Chriftos was 

 in the king's palace at Dancaz the 15th of November, and 

 that it was impoflible he then could be fo near with an ar- 

 my, if he had even wings to fly ; but that the men they had 

 feen were probably reinforcements that he expeded. 



Keba Christos, on the contrary, hearing that the enemy 

 was at hand, drew up his army in three divifions. The firft 

 confifted of his own houfehold, the fccond of a body of horfe 

 of the king's houfehold, called the Koccob Horfe, or Star Cavalry, 

 from a fdver ftar which each of them wears on the front of 

 his helmet ; and- the third, of the people of Tigrc who had 

 joined him. In this order he came in fight of his enemy 

 pofted upon a fmall height, divided only from him by a 

 narrow plain. Tecla Georgis, convinced now that it was 

 Keba Chriftos, formed his army into two divifions ; the one 

 Gompofed of a body called Tchcraguas, the other of a body 

 called Snhan ba Chr'ijios; with thefe was a large corps of Galla, 

 ivhich had lately joined them. 



Keba Christos, now turning to his troops, briefly faid^ 

 " My children, I will not wafte my time nor yours in dil- 

 Gourfe, or in telling you what you are to do. You have all- 

 arms in your hands ; you are good Chriftians; and I can po- 

 fitivcly afTure you there is not before you one of your ene- 

 mies that is not alfo an enemy to Chrift." Then, placing 

 himfelf before the Koccob horfe, he pulled off his helmet 

 and gave it to his fervant, faying, " By my naked face yom 



Ihalli 



