438 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



'been feeking, in all the bufhes and concealed parts of the 

 river, for the miferable natives, who had hid themfelves 

 thereabouts ; in this they had many of them been fuccefsful. 

 They had fome of them three, fome of them four women, 

 boys and girls, who, though Chriftians like themfelves, they 

 neverthelefs were carrying away into flavery to fell them to 

 the Turks for a very fmall price. 



A little before nine we heard a gun fired that gave us 

 fome joy, as the army feemed not to be far off; a few mi- 

 nutes after, we heard feveral dropping mots, and, in lefs than 

 a quarter of an hour's time, a general firing began from 

 right to left, which ceafed for an inftant, and then was heard 

 again as fmart as ever, about the occafion of which we were 

 divided in opinion. 



Netcho was fatisfied thatWoodage Afahel, from Samfeen, 

 had fallen upon Ras Michael at Karcagna, to prevent his 

 burning it, and that Fafil had ftrongly reinforced him that 

 he might be able to retard the army's march. On the other 

 hand, having been informed by Ayto Adigo, that news were 

 come to Gondar that Fafil had left Bure, and that Derdera 

 was the place agreed on by Gufho and Powuffen to fhut up 

 Michael on the rear, I thought that it was Fafil, to make 

 good his part of his promife, who had crofled the Nile at 

 Goutto, and attacked Ras Michael before he fuffered him to 

 burn Samfeen. Indeed we all agreed that both opinions 

 were likely to be true, and that Fafil and Woodage Afahel 

 would both attack the king at the fame time. The firing 

 continued much in the fame way, rather flacker, but ap* 

 parently advancing nearer us ; a fare fign that our anny 

 was beaten and retreating. We, therefore, made ourfelves 

 4 ready, 



