THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 455 



fore with information to Ras Michael. The two guides 

 pretended to be Agows, consequently friends to the king. 

 He called thefe into his prefence, and ordered them to be 

 put in irons, and then fent for the fervant of Nanna Geor- 

 gis. This man immediately knew the one to be his coun- 

 tryman, but declared the other was a Galla, both of them 

 fervants of Fafil, and then living in Maitfha. 



Kefla Yasous immediately ordered the Kanitz Kitzera 

 (the executioner of the camp) to attend, and having exhort-, 

 ed them to declare the truth for fear of what would fpeedi- 

 ly follow, and no fatis factory anfwer being given, he direct- 

 ed the eyes of the eldeft, the Galla, to be plucked out ; and 

 he continuing ftill obftinate, he delivered him to the fol- 

 diers, who hewed him to pieces with their large knives in 

 prefence of his companion. In the mean time the priefts 

 had been very earneft with the young one, the Agow, to 

 confefs, with better fuccefs ; but this execution, to which 

 he had been witnefs, was more prevailing; than all their ar- 

 guments. Upon promife of life, liberty, and reward, he de- 

 clared that he had left Fafil behind a hill, which he then 

 fhewed, about three miles diftant, in front of the king's 

 army, and had gone down to Welleta Yafous, who was wait- 

 ing at Goutto ready to pafs the Nile : that they were fent 

 forward to decoy the king to that paflage, under the name 

 of a ford, where they expected great part of the army would 

 periili if they attempted to pafs: that Fad was to attack 

 fuch part of the king's army as mould have palled as foon 

 as it appeared upon the heights above the river, but not till, 

 by the firing on the eait fide, he knew that Welleta Yafous 

 was engaged with the rear, or part of the army, which mould 

 ftill remain on that fide feparated by the river : that they did 



nor 



