124 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



dy to mount on horfeback, befeeched the Ras to allow tliem 

 to go down into the plain to the ailiflance of (lonfu ; but 

 the old general, without leaving off his game, faid, " I do 

 ftridtly forbid one of you to ftir ; Confu has broke my orders 

 to-day, and brought himfelf into a fcrape by his own folly; 

 let me fee him get out of it by his courage and conduft, and 

 thereby fet the army a better example than he yet has 

 done." — " Sir, faid I, at leaft ila^tion fome mufquetry on the 

 fmall hill, at the edge of the plain, that, if Confu is beaten, 

 I may not have the mortification of feeing Yafme, and 

 the new troops of Ras el Feel, (who were in their proper poll) 

 and have all my baggage and provifions, maffacred before 

 my eyes by thefe cowardly barbarians." I fpoke this in 

 the Utmoft anguifh, when the Ras lifted up his head with 

 a ghaftly kind of laugh, and faid, " Right, well do fo, Ya- 

 goube." Though this was but an imperfedl permiflion, I 

 ran down to the ftation with fuch hafte that 1 fell twice in 

 my way, and was confiderably hurt, for the ground was 

 rocky, and the grafs llipperyo 



Although I had only waved my cloak, and cried comc^ 

 on firs, a large number of matchlocks of Ozoro Efl:her's, 

 and the king's, haftened immediately to the ground. Con- 

 fu by this time had charged, and after a flioiu refiflance 

 beat Woodage back into the plain; Woodage, however, again 

 faced about, and after fome refi fiance, Confu in his turn 

 •was driven back in evident diforder, and puflied almoft in 

 upon the poft, where our foldiers had made ready their 

 mufquets, to fire if they came a ftep nearer. At this inflant 

 a body of about 30 or 40 horfe (the commander we after- 

 wards knew to be Ay to Engedan) came up full gallop from 

 the right, and fi;opt the Galla in their purfuit, Confu's men 



rallied. 



