THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 193 



The firft circumftance that gave alarm was the appear- 

 ance of the horfe, but they were not taken for an enemy, 

 but for Ayto Tesfos returning. Kefla Yafous now gave 

 the fignal to charge, by beating a kettle-drum, and every 

 foldier fell upon the enemy neareft him. It is impoffible 

 to defcribe the confufion that followed, nor was it eafy to 

 diftinguifh enemies from friends, efpecially for us on horfe- 

 back ; only thofe that fled were reckoned enemies. The 

 greateft execution done by the horfe was breaking the jars 

 of honey, butter, beer, wine, and flour, and gathering as 

 many mules together as poffible to drive them away. Few 

 of the enemy came our way towards tlie plain, but mofl; 

 fled up the hill : in an inftant the flraw huts upon the 

 rock were fet on fire, and Kefla Yafous had ordered rather 

 to deftroy the provifions than the men, fince there was no 

 refiftance. I pafl:ed a large tent, which I judged to be that 

 of Ayto Tesfos, which our people immediately cut open ; 

 but, inftead of an oflicer of confequence, we faw, by the 

 light of a lamp, three or four naked men and women, to- 

 tally overpowered with drink and fleep, lying helplefs, like 

 fo many hogs, upon the ground, utterly unconfcious of 

 what was palling about them. Upon a large tin platter, 

 on a bench, lay one of the large horns, perfectly drain- 

 ed of the fpirits that it had contained ; it was one of 

 the moll beautiful, for fhape and colour, I ever had feen, 

 though not one of the iargeft. This horn was all my 

 booty that night. Upon my return to Britain, it was afl^- 

 ed of me by Sir Thomas Dundas of Carfe, to ferve for a 

 bugle-horn to the Fauconberg regiment, to which, as being 

 part urn fangulne, it was very properly adapted. That regiment 

 being dilbanded foon after, I know not further what came 

 Vol. IV, B b of 



