590 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Inaches, veteran foldiers of Sela Chriftos, and a fmall, but 

 brave body of troops containing the fons of Portuguefe: 

 Thefe he direcfted to occupy the valleys and low ground. In 

 the center the king commanded in perfon. 



The rebel chief and his mountaineers remained in a 

 flate of fecurity ; for they neither thought to be fo fpeedi- 

 ly attacked, nor that Socinios could have raifed fo large 

 an army. They abandoned, therefore, the lower ground, 

 and all took pofts upon the heights. The prince advanced 

 to the firfl: entrance, and ordered Damo, his Billetana 

 Gueta, to force it with four companies of good foldiers, 

 who afcended the mountain with great perfeverance ; and, 

 notwithftariding the obftinate defence of the rebels, made 

 themfelves mailer of that poll, having killed two of the 

 braveft officers Melca Chriftos had, the one named Bil- 

 lene, the other Tecla Mariam, iim.ZTaQ.6. defender of the fakh^ 

 becaufe he was the firft that brought Galla to the affiftance 

 of Melca Chriftos. 



There were likewife flain, at the fame time, fourpriefts 

 and five monks, after a defperate refiftance ; one of whom, 

 calling the king's troops Moors, forbade them to approach 

 for fear of defiling him, and then, with a book in his 

 hand, threw himfelf over the rock, and was daflied to pieces 

 in the plain below. Here the prince met with an enemy 

 he did not expert : The cold was fo exceffive, that above 

 fifty perfons were frozen to death. 



The top of the mountain, which was the fecond entry in- 

 to Lafta, was occupied by a ftill larger body of rebels, and, 

 therefore, necelTary to be immediately ftormed, elfe thofe 

 I below 



