536 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



having found one that pretended to be of the royal blood, 

 he proclaimed him king, and put his army in motion. 



Upon the firft news of this revoh, the king, though at- 

 tended with few troops, immediately left Gondar, ordering 

 all thofe whofe duty it was to join him at Ibaba. Having 

 there collected a little army, he marched immediately for 

 the country of the BalTo, deflroying every thing with fire 

 and fword. Tigi, in the mean time, by forced marches 

 came to Ibaba, where he committed all forts of cruelties 

 without dillindion of age or fex. The cries of the fufi'erers 

 reached the king, who turned immediately back to the re- 

 lief of Ibaba ; and, not difcouraged by his enemy's great fu- 

 periority of number, offered battle to them as foon as he 

 arrived. Nor did Tigi and his Galla refufe it ; but, on the 

 28th day of March 1709, a very obftinate engagement enfued ; 

 where, though the king was inferior in forces, yet being him- 

 fclf warlike and active, he was fo well feconded by his troops 

 that BaiTo and Liban were almoil entirely cut off. 



In the field of battle there was a church, built by the 

 late king Yafous after a viiflory gained there over the Pa- 

 gans, whence it had the name it then bore, Debra Mawea, 

 or the Mountain ofVidory. A large body of thefe Galla, feeing 

 that all went againil them in the field, fled to the church 

 for a fancftuary, tru fling to be protecfted from the fury of 

 the foldiers by the holincfs of the place, and they fo far 

 judged well ; for the king's troops, though they furround- 

 ed the churcli on every fide, did not oiler to break into it, or 

 molcfl the enemy that had flieltered themfelves within. 

 Theophilus, informed of this fcruple of his foldiers, imme- 

 diately rode up to them, crying out, " That the church was 

 a ' « defiled 



