THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 165 



to flay in the camp. I afterwards went to the king's tent, 

 who was not yet up ; and the very inflant after, the Ras's 

 iirft drum beat, and the king rofe ; foon after which, rhe 

 fecond drum was heard for the foldiers to go to b; eakfafb, 

 I went into the king's tent to kifs his hand, and receive liis 

 orders. He told me they were fpeedily then going to break- 

 fall within, to which meal I was engaged at Ozoro Efther's. 

 He anfwered, Make hafte then, for 1 am reiolved to be on 

 the field before king Theodorus to-day. I am his fenior, 

 and fhould lliew him the example. He feemed more than 

 ordinary gay and in fpirits. 



I FINISHED my breakfaft in a few minutes, and took a 

 grateful, but chearful leave of Ozoro Eflher, and received 

 many acknowledgements, and kind expreffions, both from 

 her and Tecla Mariam, who did not fail to be there accord- 

 ing to appointment. The day was clear, the fun warm, and 

 the army defcended into the plain with great alacrity, in 

 the fame order as the day before, Guebra Mafcal, with his 

 mufqueteers, took pofTeflion of the long hill in the valley, 

 and coafted the left flank of our left wing, the river Ma- 

 riam and its high banks being only between us. The king 

 took his poft, with the winding road aforementioned (up 

 the fleep banks of the Mariam) clofe on his left. Guebra 

 Mafcal having come to the fouth end of the hill below, 

 •marched brifkly up the road, and then advanced about 200 

 yards, making his men lye down at the brink of the hill 

 next the plain, among bent grafs, and thin tall flirubs like 

 Spanifli broom, fo as to be perfedly out of fight ; his line 

 was at right angles with our front, fo that his lire mull 

 eafilade the whole front of our line. 



X 2 U 



