454 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Lidda, which, after a fliort but violent courfe, falls into the 

 Mareb. 



The Shangalla of Betcoom did nothing worthy of their 

 reputation or numbers. They had already procured intel- 

 ligence of the fate of great part of their nation, and had 

 difperfed thenifelves in unknown and defolate places. The 

 king, however, made a confiderable number of flaves of 

 the younger fort, and killed as many of the reft as fell in- 

 to his hands. 



Leaving Betcoom, the army proceeded ftill eaftward ; 

 paflbd through the mountains of the Habab, into the low 

 level country which runs parallel to the Red Sea, at the bafe 

 of thefe mountains, where he fpent feveral days hunting 

 the elephant, fome of which he flew with his own hand, 

 and turned then to the left to Amba Tchou * and Taka. 



The Taka are a nation of Shepherds living near the ex- 

 tremity of the rains. They are not Arabs, but live in vil- 

 lages, and were part formerly of the Bagla, or Habab ; they 

 fpeak the language of Tigre, and are now reputed part of 

 the kingdom of Sennaar. 



While the king was at Taka, he received the difagree- 

 able news, that, after he had left the Shangalla on the Ma- 

 rch, Muftapha Gibberti, a Mahometan foldier in the fervice 

 of Kafmati Fafa Chriftos of Dedgin, had, with a fmall num- 

 ber of men, ventured down, thinking that he fliould fur- 



prife 



* Tlie mountain of fait. 



