THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. jg^ 



flain returned back without feeing Ayto Tesfos's camp, 

 being afraid that fome other trap might Hill be in their 

 way. 



In the morning of the 2 2d, we found that the flain Were 

 men of Begemder and Lafla. Tesfos, it fe^ms, had been in 

 Powufl^en's camp when he faw the fire lighced on the hill, 

 and thence had provided an additional number of troops to 

 attack Kefla Yafous before he had done his bufinefs, but in 

 this he mifcarried. Tesfos's party was thus totally deflroyed 

 and difperfed, his mules flaughtered, and his provilions 

 fpoiled. About thirty of Kefla Yafous's infantry, however, 

 lofl their lives by flaying behind, and intoxicating themfelves 

 with liquor. Of the horfe, not a man was either killed or 

 wounded. I was the only unfortunate perfon ; and Provi- 

 dence had feemed to warn me of my danger the day before^ 

 for pafling then that rock which projc(5led into the valley, ' 

 the fire giving perfect light, the multitude aflfembled above, 

 and prepared for that purpofe, poured down upon us fuch a 

 fliower of arrows, ftones, billets of wood, and broken jars, as 

 ■is not to be imagined. Of thefe a ftone gave me a very 

 violent blow upon my left arm, while a fmall fragment 

 of the bottom of a jar, or pitcher, flruck me on the creft of 

 my helmet, and occafioned fuch a concuffion as to deprive 

 me for a time of all recoilecT:ion, fo that, when lying in my 

 tent at no great diflance, I did not remember to have heard 

 Guebra Mafcal's dilcharge. I certainly had fome prefaging 

 that mifchief was to happen me, for pafling that rock, juft 

 before we entered Tesfos's camp, I defired Tecla, when I re- 

 turned, to allow fifty men to proceed up the hill and 

 cut thofe people in pieces who had flationed themfelves fo 

 inconveniently ; but he would not confent, being defirous 



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