174 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



up the hill as to be out of reach of the horfe, and the reft 

 of the infantry in the plain ; Baflia Hezekias was on the round 

 hill jull behind the center, where the king had placed him- 

 felf, and Guebra Mafcal nearly where he flood before. 



The army now made an appearance of a large feftion of 

 an amphitheatre. I obferved the king had pulled off the 

 diadem, or white fillet he wears for diftindlion, and was 

 very intent upon renewing the engagement : the Begemder 

 troops were forming, with great alertnefs, about half a mile 

 below, being reinforced from time to time. The king order- 

 ed his. drums to beat, and his trumpets to found, to inform 

 the enemy he was ready ; but they did not anfwer, or advance : 

 foon after (it being near three o'clock) the weather became 

 overcafl, and cold, on which the troops of Begemder beat a re- 

 treat ; the king, very foon after, did the fame, and returned 

 to the camp without further moleftation ; only that coming 

 near a rock which projedled into the valley, (not far diflant 

 from the camp) a multitude of peafants belonging to Ma- 

 riam-Ohha, threw down a fliower of ftcnes from their hands 

 and flings, which him feveral. The king ordered them to 

 be fired at, though they were a great diflance off, and pafTed 

 on : but Guebra Mafcal commanding about fifty men to 

 run brifkly up the hill, on each fide of the rock, gave them 

 two difcharges at a lefs diftance, which killed or wounded 

 many, and made the reft difappear in a moment. 



I DOUBT that my reader will be more than fufficiently 

 tired with the detail of this fecond battle of Serbraxos ; but, 

 as it was a very remarkable incident in my life, I could not 

 omit it as far as I faw it myfelf, and fuppreffing any one part 

 of it would have involved the reft in a confufion, with which 

 ^ I fear 



