THE SOURCE OF THE NIL'E. 421 



As I have mentioned the name of this perfon fo often, it 

 will be neceffary to take notice, that he was by origin a 

 ©alia, but born in Damot, of the clan Elmana, or Denfa, two 

 tribes fettled there in the time of Yafous I. that he was the 

 mod intrepid and active partizan in his time, and had an 

 invincible hatred to Ras Michael, nor was there any love 

 loft betwixt them. It is impoilible to conceive with what 

 velocity he moved, fometimes with 200 horfe, fometimes 

 with half that number. He was conftantly falling upon 

 fome part of Michael's army, whether marching or. en- 

 camped ; the blow once (truck, he difappeared in a minute. 

 When he wanted to attempt fomething great, he had only 

 to fummon his friends and acquaintance in the country, 

 and he had then a little army, which difperfed as foon as 

 the bufmefs was done. ; It was Ras Michael's iirft queition 

 to the fpies ; Where was Woodage Afahel lafl night? a 

 queftion they very feldom could anfwer with certainty. He 

 was in his perfon too tall for a good horfeman, yet he was 

 expert in this qualification by conftant practice. His face 

 was yellow, as if he had the jaundice, and much pitted with 

 the fmall-pox ; his eyes flaring, but fiery; his nofe as it were 

 broken, his mouth large, his chin long and turned up at the 

 end; he fpoke very faft, but net much, and had a very my, 

 but ill-defigning look. In his character, he was avaricious, 

 treacherous, inexorable, and cruel to a proverb; infhort, he 

 was allowed to be the moft mercilefs robber and murderer 

 that age had produced in all Abyffmia. 



Wearied with thinking, and better reconciled to my ex- 

 pedition, I fell into a found fleep. I was awakened by Strates 

 in the morning, (the 21ft of May) who, from the next room, 

 had heard all the converfation between me and Negade Ras, 



and 



