THE SOUPtCE OF THE NILE. 197 



vifible enough to every one that a treaty of fome kind was 

 not only on foot, but aheady far advanced, hi the evening 

 a party of 400 foot and 50 horfe, M^hich went to Demhoa 

 to forage for the king, was furprifed by Coque Ab'.u Earea, 

 and cut to pieces ; after which that general encamped wich 

 Gullio, and brought witii him about jooo men. 



Provisions were now become fcarce in the camp, and 

 there was a profpedt that they would be every day Icarcer ; 

 and, what was ftill worfe, Deg-Ohha, which long had Hood 

 in pools, was now almoit dry, and, from the frequent ufe 

 made of it by the number of beads, began to have both an 

 ofFenfive fmell and talle ; whilll, every time we attempted 

 to water at the Mariam river, a battle was to be fought with 

 Tesfos's horfe in the valley. On the other hand, an epide- 

 mical fever raged in the rebels camp on the plain, elpecial- 

 ly in that of Gufho and Ayabdar. The rain, moreover, was 

 now coming on daily, and fomething deciiive became ne- 

 ceffary for all parties. 



On the 24th, in the morning, a meiTage arrived from Gu-. 

 llio to the king, deiiring I might have liberty to come and 

 bring medicines with me, for his whole family were ill 

 of the fever. The king anfwered, that I had been wound- 

 ed in the head, and waj. ill ; nor did he believe ,1 could be 

 able to come; but, if 1 was, he Ihouldfend me in the morn- 

 ing. 



A LITTLE before noon the drums in the plain beat to 

 arms. Heraclius, Mammo, and Tesfos on the fide of the 

 valley, Coque Abou Barea and Afahel Woodage on the fide 

 of the plain, with frelli troops, had obtained leave from 



Guflio 



