THE SOtJRCE OP THE NILE. 145 



The Fdjow Galla alone advanced to the very brink of the 

 river, and when the mufquetry began to be fired at them, 

 which would probably quickly have put them into confu- 

 fion, the king, lofing all patience, ordered the black horfe, 

 and all the heavy-armed troops, to charge them, which 

 ■was inflantly executed with the greateft fpeed; the Gal- 

 la were all borne down, with little or no refiilance, by 

 ■the length of our pikes, and the fuperior weight of our 

 horfes, and thofe that were not {lain were fcattered over the 

 plain. But a greater misfortune befel us from our friends 

 than from our enemies, as a volley of lliot was poured up- 

 on us from Serbraxos hill, on the right hand, which killed 

 feven men, notwithllanding their coats of mail. The king 

 himfelf was in great danger, being in the middle of the en- 

 gagement, and unarmed; young prince George, who 

 fought by his fide, was lliot in the thumb of his left 

 hand. Kefla Yafous, who faw the danger the king was in, 

 ridmg about, holdmg out his hand and crying not to fire, 

 was fhot through the hair, the ball juft grazing his head 

 above the ear, and another wounding his horfe juft above 

 his thigh, but fo flightly, that it was afterwards extradled 

 by a fervant's fingers. 



Ayabdar, after the lo(s of his Ed jo w Galla, retreated to 

 the camp, amidlt the curies and imprecations of the army, 

 who, not informed of the king's ftrength, thought the war 

 might have been ended by a proper exertion and perfeve- 

 rance in his part that day. Gulho his nephew, who had 

 flaid to guard the. camp, but who had reinforced Powufi^en 

 and Ayabdar each of them with a part of his troops, fpoke 

 of his uncle in the bittereft terms of reproach, continually 

 calling him dotard and coward, and declaring him incapa- 

 ble 



