THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 145 



fixty were left upon the field, all {lain in the attack, for thpy 

 were not purfued, but joined their main body immediate- 



Ras Michael fell back upon the army, which had en- 

 camped on the hill of Serbraxos ; and it now was believed 

 more than before, that the fate of the empire was to be 

 determined on that fpot. Another thing, however, appear- 

 ed plain, that whatever belief Michael pretended in the 

 prophecy, he would not have preferred fighting at Serbrax- 

 os, if he could by any means have given the rebels the 

 flip, and marched his army into Begemder. The king was 

 exceedingly pleafed at the part he had taken that day ; it was 

 the firft time he was engaged in perfon, nor did any body 

 venture to condemn it ; he fhewed, indeed, very little con- 

 cern at his brother's wound, which was only a flight one 

 in the flefliy part of his thumb, nor did the young prince 

 trouble himfelf much about it ; on the contrary, when I 

 went todrefs and bind it up, he faid to me, I wiili, Yagoube, 

 the fliothad carried the thumb off altogether, it would have 

 made nie incapable of fucceeding to the throne, and they 

 would not then fend me to the hill of Wechne. The king, 

 upon hearing this, faid with a fmile, George forgets that 

 Hatze Hannes, my father and his, was called to the throne 

 many years after his whole hand had been cut off. Every 

 one agreed that Ras Michael had that day ihewn a degree 

 of intrepidity and military ikill fuperior to any thing which 

 had appeared in many former engagements in v/hich he 

 had commanded. No fooner had he refreflied himfelf 

 with a meal, than he called a council of his officers, which 

 larted great part of the evening, notwithftanding the fa- 

 tigue he had undergone throughout the day. 



Vol. IV, T This 



