THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 155 



through the winding fandy road up the fteep banks of the 

 river, by the fouth end of that low hill, as I have already 

 faid. At thefe two places are the two fords of the river, 

 which continue paffable even in the rainy feafon, and the 

 water at that time ilands in pools below it, till feveral miles 

 further it joins the Zingetch Gomara, a larger ftream than 

 itfelf, whofe banks are low, and where the flream is 

 fordable alfo ; but the banks of the river Mariam continue 

 fleep, and run in a fouthern diredion. In this valley, at the 

 fouth end of this hill near the ford was the engagement be- 

 tween Michael with the van, and the Begemder troops, on 

 the 1 6th ; at the ford on the north end of this hill, in the 

 fame valley, was the fight between the light troops and Kaf- 

 mati Ayabdar, and the king in perfon, the very fame day ; fo 

 that the valley was perfedlly known by the enemy, and as 

 they had few or no mufquetry, was wifely confidered as not 

 fit ground for their purpofes being narrow and commanded 

 by hills everywhere. 



On the 19th of May, word was brought that the whole 

 rebel army was in motion, and before eight o'clock (reck- 

 oned in Abyffinia an early hour for fuch bufinefs) a great 

 cloud of dull: was feen rifing on the right of the rebels to- 

 wards Korreva, and this was the moment the Begemder 

 troops got on horfeback in the dufty plain ; foon after we 

 heard their ketde- drums, and abovu nine o'clock we faw 

 the whole troops of Begemder appear, drawn up at fuch 

 a diilance in the plain, above the road up the fl:cep bank 

 of the Mariam, as to leave great room for us to form with 

 the road on our left, and a little on our rear ; Michael eafi- 

 ly divined PowuiTen's intention, which was to beat us back 

 by a fuperior force of horfe, and then making a num- 



U 2 ber 



