THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 121 



l)earing provifions, horns of liquor, and mills for grinding 

 corn, upon their backs ; idle women of all forts, half dead 

 with fear, crying and roaring, mounted upon mules ; and 

 men driving mules loaded with baggage, mingled with the 

 troops, and palling through in all dire(5lions, prefented fuch 

 a tumultuous appearance that it furpafled all defcription. 

 There were above 10,000 women accompanying the army : 

 the Ras had about 50 loaded with bouza, and the king I 

 fuppofe near, as many. 



The fight threw me for a moment into low fpirits. I 

 know not if the king faw it. I was perfecStly fdent, when he 

 cried. Well, what do you fay to us now, Yagoube ? I anfwer- 

 ed. Is this the order in which your majefly means to engage ? 

 He laughed, and faid. Aye; why not, you will fee. If that is 

 fo, I replied, I only hope it is the enemy's cuftom as well as 

 your raajefty's to be in no better order. The king was going 

 to anfwer me, when Guebra Mafcal, who was juft befide him, 

 criedout,Thisisa bufmefsyou know nothing about,Yagoube; 

 go to your Felac (quadrant) and your fortune-telling, if you 

 are afraid ; we have no need of you, nor your advice to-day. 

 Refped-for theprefenceof the king, which youfeem to be void 

 of, faid I, hinders me from anfwering you as I otherwife would 

 have done ; but be allured, in which ever army they were 

 to-day, they are not men like Guebra Mafcal whom Ifhould 

 be afraid of. The king looked at him much difpleafed, and, 

 I believe, faid fomething favourable of me ; what it was I did 

 not diflindlly hear. 



It was now about 10 o'clock, when, marching clofe along 

 the foot of the hills, we arrived at Tedda. The burying- 

 place of Hatzc Hannes I. fon of Facilidas, and father of Ya- 



VoL. IV. Q^ fous 



