198 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Gufho and Powuflcn to try to liorm our camp, without any 

 affiilancc from the main army, in order to bring the whole 

 to a fpeedy conclufion. 1 here had been a time when fuch 

 an undertaking would not have been thought a prudent one 

 to much better men than any of thofe who now were par- 

 ties in it ; but our fpirits were greatly fallen, our number, 

 too, much decreafed ; above all, a relaxation of difcipline 

 (and defertion, the confequence of it) began to prevail a- 

 mong us to an alarming degree. This was generally faid 

 to be owing to the defpondency of the Tigre troops upon 

 the arrival of Tesfos ; but it required little penetration to 

 difcern, that all forts of men were weary of conftant fight- 

 ing and hardlhips, for no other end but unjuftly maintain- 

 ing Michael in a pod in which he governed at dii'cretion, 

 to the terror of the whole kingdom, and ruin of the confli- 

 tution. 



The hill of Serbraxos, when we firfl: took port on it, was 

 rugged and uneven, full of acacia and sither ill- thriving 

 tree, and various Humps of thefe had been broken by the 

 wind, or underrhined by the torrents. The great need the 

 foldiers had of fuel to roaft the miferable pittance of bar- 

 ley, (which was all their food) had cleared away thefe in- 

 cumbrances from the fide of the hill, and the conflant re- 

 fort of men going up and down, had rendered the furfacc 

 perfedlly fmooth and flippery ; fo that our camp did not 

 appear as placed fo high, nor nearly fo inacceilible as it 

 was at firft. For this reafon, Ras Michael had ordered the 

 foldiers to gather all the ftones on the hill, and range them 

 in fmall walls, at proper places, in a kind of zig-zag, under 

 which the foldiers lay concealed, and with their fire-arms 

 proteded the mules which went down to drink. JVIichael 

 4 had 



