THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 167 



By the drums and trumpets of their whole army. An ac- 

 cident happened at this moment, which endangered the 

 diicovery of the hidden part of our difpofition, and which 

 would thereby have deftroyed the fanguine hopes we had 

 of vi'ftory, and endangered the fafety of the whole army. 

 Upon difplaying the red flag, two mufquets were fired from 

 the poll in the face of the hill where Guebra Mafcal lay in 

 ambulh. Luckily, at that v^ery inllant, all the king's drums 

 beat, and trumpets founded, a kind of mock alarm, (fuch 

 as the pofture - maflers and mountebanks ufe, ) in ridi- 

 cule of king Theodorus, and his red flag then flying before- 

 us. 



Immediately upon this, as on a flgnal for battle, the 

 whole army of Begemder fet out full gallop, to charge, as 

 at N N, and a long hundred yards -before they joined, they 

 received, through the very depth of their fquadron, a clofe 

 well-diredled fire from the whole mufquetry of Guebra 

 Mafcal, and from the king's line an inftant after, which 

 put them into the utmoU confufion, fo that they in pare 

 came reeling down upon our line, half wheeled about to 

 the left, as men that had loft their way, with their right, 

 that is, their naked fides expofed as they turned, their 

 fliields being in their left. The fire from Guebra Mafcal was 

 the fignal for our line to charge, and the licavy-armed horfe- 

 men, with their pikes, broke thro' them with little refiflance, 

 the line in the mean while, with horfe and foot, clofed with: 

 them, after the mufquets had given them their fire, and: 

 then ftaid behind to recharge. Pare of their left did not 

 engage at all, but wheeled about, and fled fouthward over. 

 the plain. 



Whilb^ 



