THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 13^ 



A LONG valley, having the mountains of Begcmder on the 

 fouth, or fartheft end, was what the Ras had now entered, 

 and he flattered himfelf, by a forced niaixh, to arrive at thofc 

 mountains. When once in Begemder, he knew that he not on- 

 ly fhould occafion a revolt among the troops of Powuiren, 

 (many of whom had followed him by force rather than in- 

 clination) but likewife he was afllired that he lliould be met 

 by many powerful noblemen and friends to the king, both 

 of Lafta and Begemder, whom Powuflen dared not force to 

 follow him, and who had ftaid at home; by this means, 

 he conceived his army would be fo much increafed that he 

 foon Ihould bring the rebels to reafon. 



The river Mariam runs along the weft fide of this valley^ 

 fliallow, but brilk and clear, and the water excellent, while 

 a fmall brook, called Deg-Ohha, (that is, the water of ho- 

 nour, or of worth) falling from- the mountains on the eaft, 

 runs clofe by the bottom of the hill of Serbraxos, where it 

 joins the Mariam. The center of the army was juft en- 

 tering from the plain into the valley, and the king's horfe 

 pafling Deg-Ohha, when we heard a firing in the front, 

 which we gueiTed to be from the Fit-Auraris; foon after fol- 

 lowed a repeated firing from the van, engaged about a Ihorc 

 two miles diftance, though a long even hill in the midft 

 of the valley, and its windings, hindered us from feeing 

 them, 



GuEBRA Christos immediately made his difpofition ; he 

 placed his horfe, and foot in the intervals of the horfe, in the 

 middle of the valley ; his mufquetry on the right and left, 

 the former upon the fkirts of the hill already mentioned, to 

 i-un along the valley ; the latter up the fliirts of the hill of 



S 2 Serbraxos* 



