r^o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



my as he was to Ras Michael, he would not venture to 

 take an adlive part againll him, till the king's affairs were 

 plainly going to ruin. I have already mentioned, that the 

 laft thing Michael did was to fend Kefla Yafous, Baflia He- 

 zekias,and Welleta Michael, to difpoffeis him of his llrong- 

 hold if poflible, and in this they had failed. But now that 

 Tesfos faw there was no probability that Michael fliould 

 be able to retreat to Tigre, he came at laft to join Gufho, 

 bringing with him only about a thoufand men, having left 

 all his polls guarded againit furprife, and ftrong enough to 

 cut off all recruits arriving from Tigre. Nothing that had yet 

 happened ever had fo bad effed: upon Michael's men as 

 this appearance of Tesfos. It was a little before mid-day 

 when his army appeared, and from the hills above march- 

 ed down towards the valley below us, not two mufquec- 

 iliot from our camp. 



Though Samen is really on the weft of the Tacazze, and 

 confequently in the Amharic divifion of this country, yet, 

 on account of its vicinity to Tigre, the language and cuf- 

 toms are moflly the fame with thofe of that province. 

 There is a march peculiar to the troops of Tigre, which, 

 Avhen the drums of Tesfos beat at paffmg, a defpondency 

 feemed to fall on all the Tigran foldiers, greater than if 

 ten thoufand men of Amhara had joined the rebels. It 

 was a fine day, and the troops, fpread abroad upon the face 

 of the hill, not only Ihewed more in number than they 

 really were, but alfo more fecurity than they were, in point 

 of prudence, warranted to do, when at fo I'mall a diftance 

 from fuch an army as ours« 



Tesfos 



