3i8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



cifco continued, " I told him Fafil was in the camp ; at 

 which he laughed outright, faid I was drunk, and wonder- 

 ed you had given me the parole with a curfe upon its fa- 

 ther ; a great catch this word, to be fure, it will make me 

 rich." " I am afraid, faid I, friend, Laeca Mariam hath fta- 

 ted the truth ; at leafl I never heard of an army cut to 

 pieces fo very quietly as ours is." While I was fpeaking, the 

 flambeaux at the Ras's tent were all fuddenly lighted, which 

 was like wife done by Kefla Yafous, all the general officers, 

 and laftly from the king's tent. This is a kind of torch, or 

 flambeau, ufed by the janizary Aga, at Cairo and Conflan- 

 tinople, when he patroles the ftreets ; in the night-time 

 it is lighted, but the fire does not appear till you whirl 

 it three or four times round your head, and then it burfts 

 out into a bright flame. Michael had fixteen always on the 

 guard, ever fince the attempt upon his life by the Gurague. 

 In a moment all the camp was lighted, and the people 

 awakened, whilft, as nobody knew the reafon, the tumult 

 increafed. Francifco, with great exultation, upon feeing 

 the Ras's torches lighted, cried, " See who is drunk now ; 

 where are your jokes ? this will be a fine night, and no- 

 body is armed." " Sir, faid I, you faw Laeca Mariam and 

 his guard armed ; fo is every other guard in the camp as 

 much as ever ; and you may thank God you have my fer- 

 vant's lance and fhield, fo you are armed. I may drink 

 coffee, though I very much fear there may be fome embroil 

 on foot, of which you may be yourfelf part of the occafion. 

 Go, however, to the Ras's tent, and afk if he has any orders 

 for me." 



In fhort, we foon after found that the caufe of all this 

 difliirbance v/as, that fome part of Tesfos's men had come 

 to the back of the camp and attempted to recover the mules 



which 



