THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 119 



The horfemen of the king's army were about 7000, moft- 

 ly very indifferent troops ; fo that his whole mufter was 

 nearly 7000 mufqiteteers, 25,000 foot, armed with lances 

 and fhields, and about 7500 horfemen ; in round numbers 

 about 40,000 men. It is not poffible, 1 believe, to know, 

 with greater precifion, the number, fuch is the confufion of 

 barbarous armies on thefe occafions, and fuch the inclina- 

 tion of their leaders to magnify and increafe their quotas. 

 Befides thefe, Ayto Confu and Sanuda were left with about 

 600 men each, to proted Gondar from flying, pillaging 

 parties, and to keep the communication open between the 

 army and the capital, from whence the provilions were to 

 be fupplied.. 



This army was furnilhed with a number of excellent of- 

 ficers, veterans of noble families, who had fpent their 

 whole life in war, which we may fay, for thefe laft 400- 

 years, has never ceafed to lay defolate this unhappy coun- 

 try ; the principal were Ras Michael, who, arrived at the age 

 of feventy-four, had palTed the laft 50 years of his life in a 

 courfe of continued vidories, Atfliam Georgis, and Gue- 

 bra Chriftos, uncles by the mother's fide to the king ; Kefla 

 Yafous, in the full vigour of life, who, though unhap- 

 pily born in a country plunged in ignorance, and where 

 there is no education, pofiefTed every quality that became 

 a man, whether a foldier, ftatefman, citizen, or friend ; Wel- 

 leta Michael, mafter of the houfehoTd to the king ; Billeta- 

 na Guera Tecla ; Bafha Hezekias, and Guebra Mafcal, two 

 principal officers of his mufquctry, and a great number of 

 others of equal merit, known better in-ihe c?mp than at the 

 court ; Aylo, and Engedan, two fons of Kafmati bfhte ; Ayto 

 Confu, fon of Ozoro Efthei, all young ^len, employed gene- 



4 J^ally 



