THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



433 



It was now the fccond year of his reign when the king 

 took the field with a fmall, but very well chofen army. The 

 Edjow and Woolo, two of the mofl: powerful tribes of fouth- 

 ern Galla, taking advantage of the abfence of Ras Anaflafms, 

 had entered Amhara by a pafs, on the fide of which is fitua- 

 ted Melee Shimfa, one of the principal towns of the pro- 

 vince. 



The king, leaving old Anaftafms to the government of 

 Gondar, took upon himfelf the relief of Amhara; and, being 

 joined by all the troops in his way, he arrived at Melee Shim- 

 fa before the Galla had any intelligence of him. The Gal- 

 la always chofe for their refidence a very level country, be- 

 cauie they are now become all horfemen. The country of 

 Amhara, on the contrary, is full of high mountains, and 

 only accelliblc by certain naiTow pafTes. The king, there- 

 fore, inilead of marching diredlly to the enemy, pafTed a- 

 bove them, and left them flill advancing, burning the villa- 

 ges and churches in the country below. He then took pof- 

 feliion of the pafs (through which he knew they muft re- 

 treat) with a ftrong body of troops ; and filled the entrance 

 of the defile, which was very rugged ground, with fufileers» 

 and his bell foot armed. with lances : after this, he fepara- 

 ted his horfe into two divifions, and, referving one half to 

 himfelf, gave the other to Kafmati Demetrius. He then 

 placed the troops conducfted by himfelf in a wood, about half 

 a mile from the entrance of the pafs, and ordered Demetri- 

 us to fall upon the Galla brifkly on the plain, but to retreat 

 as if terrified by their numbers, and to make the befl of his 

 way then to the pafs in the mountains. 



Vol. II. 3 1 D£MiiTRius< 



