200 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



tal and moft unreafonable effecft of fear in thefe troops, who 

 have not the knowledge or prac5tice of fire-arms, and are a- 

 bout to charge, for as foon as they hear this noife of planting 

 the flicks, (which is fomewhat louder than that of our men 

 cocking their mufquets) they halt immediately, and give the 

 fairefl opportunity to their enemies to take aim ; and, after 

 thus fufferingfromawell-direfted fire, they fall into confu- 

 fion, and run, leaving the mufquetry time to re-charge. This 

 is as if they voluntarily devoted themfelves to deftrudtion ; 

 for if, either upon hearing the noife of fetting the flicks 

 in the ground, or before or after they have received the 

 fire, the horfe were to charge thefe mufqueteers, having no 

 bayonets, at the gallop, they mull be cut to pieces every 

 time they were attacked by cavalry ; the contrary of which 

 is always the cafe. 



WooDAGE AsAHEL had now advanced within about thir- 

 ty yards of the mufquetry that were expeding him, when 

 unluckily the hill became more fteep, and Ayto Tesfos (for 

 fome reafon not then known) ceafed firing. The king was 

 now clofe to the very brow of the hill, nor could any one 

 perfuade him to keep at a greater diftance. I was not far 

 from him, and had no fort of doubt but that I fliould pre- 

 fently fee the whole body of the enemy deflroyed by the 

 fire awaiting them, and blown into the air. Woodage Afa- 

 hel was very confpicuous by a red fillet, or bandage, wrapt 

 about his head, the two ends hanging over his ears, whilft 

 he was waving with his hands for the troops below to fol- 

 low brilkly, and fupport thofe near him, who were impe- 

 ded by the roughncfs and mofly quality of the ground. At 

 tliis inflant the king's troops fired, and I expeded to fee the 

 enemy flrewed dead along the face of the hill. Indeed we 

 3 ' faw 



