192 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



often tatious beating of the Tigran march upon his kettlc- 

 dium as he pafTed, and his taking poft fo near, were all con- 

 fidered as meriting chaiUfement. That general, however, 

 though very fenfible of this bravado, did not venture to 

 fugged any thing in the prefent fuuation of the army, but 

 all his friends propofed it to him, that fome reproof flaould 

 be given to Tesfos, if it was only to raife the drooping 

 fpirits of the troops of Tigre. Accordingly 400 horfe, and 

 about 500 foot, armed with lances and fliields only, without 

 mufquetry for fear of alarm, were ordered to be ready 

 as foon as it was perfedly dark, that is, between feven and 

 eight o'clock, 



Tesfos having waited the coming of his baggage, and 

 arranged his little camp to his liking, was feen to mount, 

 with about |oo horfe, to go to the campof Gufho or Powuf- 

 fen a little before fun-fet, at which time Kefla Yafous was 

 dillributing plenty of meat to the foldiers. About eight 

 o'clock they defcended the hill unperceived even by part of 

 our camp. Kefla Yafous was governor of Temben (a pro- 

 vince on the S. W. of Tigre) immediately joining to Samen, 

 and the language and dialed was the fame. The foot were 

 ordered to take the lead, fcattcred in a manner not to give 

 alarm, and the horfe were to pafs by the back of the low, 

 even hill, in the other valley, along the banks of the river 

 Mariam, clofe to the water, in order to cut off the retreat to 

 the plain. A great part of the Samen foldiers were afleep, 

 whilll a number of the mules that had been loaded were 

 ftraggling up and down, and fome of them returning to the 

 camp. The Temben troops had now infmuated themfelves 

 among the tents, cfpecially on the fide of the hill. 



1 The 



