ii8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and conftantly fretted the cheek and nofe, when either the 

 man or the horfe were in motion; and therefore I always 

 fubftituted a black filk net, which concealed my colour bet- 

 ter, and for the reft of my face I committed it to the care of 

 Providence. 



This body of horfe was able to make their way through 

 all the cavalry in AbyfTinia, if they had been drawn up a- 

 gainft them with equal fronts ; for every horfeman fat im- 

 moveable upon his faddle, and ad^ed moft powerfully by 

 his weight alone, and was perfectly matter of his perfon 

 alfo by the breadth and flaortnefs of his ftirrups ; whereas 

 the Abyilinian horfemen were placed moft difadvantageouf- 

 ly, their head and body naked, their faddle fmall, and of 

 no fupport to them, their ftirrup- leathers long, and no ftir- 

 rups to put their foot in ; but being conftantly afraid of 

 their horfe falling upon them, the only hold which they 

 had was the outfide of an iron ring, which they grafped be- 

 tween their great and fecond toe, fo that they had no 

 ftrength from their ftirrups, whilft their foot was always 

 fwellcd, and their toes fore and galled. 



Of the thoufand Shoa horfe about 60 had deferted ; the reft 

 were all in good order, each armed with their lances about 

 ten teet long, and two light javelins, their Ihafts being of 

 cane, which they threw at a great diftance ; the lance they 

 never loofed out of their hand ; as for their ftirrups and 

 faddle, they were of the fame bad conftrudlion as thofe of 

 the .'-\b', ftuiians in general, and this reduced them nearly 

 to a looting with them. 



The 



