222 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



to leave him without his dired permiffion, that Gufho had 

 affured me of fafety if I kept clofe to his perfon, that it 

 would be a breach of trull to leave my Greek fervant un- 

 provided at Gondar, and that forfaking my inftruments 

 would have the efFedl of making my return through the de- 

 fert imperfea,— I rejedted this propofal, and difmifled Yafine, 

 with orders to adhere inviolably to the inftrudions 1 had 

 given him. 



As for the king himfelf, his countenance was not chan- 

 ged, nor did he fay to me one word that day in confidence, 

 whether he did or did not intend to return to Gondar. 



As no body knew what conditions were made, or whether 

 any were really made at all, fear kept the common foldiers 

 under obedience till it was night. The firfl who began to 

 file off, it being near dark, were the women, who carried 

 the mills, jars, and the heavy burdens ; thefe were in great 

 numbers. Soon after, the foldiers were in motion, and the 

 Ras and the King's tents were ftruck juft as it was night ; 

 darknefs freed the whole army from obedience to orders, 

 and a confufion, never to be forgot or defcribed, prefently 

 followed, every body making the befl of their way to get 

 fafe down the hill. At firft fetting out I kept clofe by the 

 king ; bur, without treading upon, or riding over a number 

 of people, I could not keep my place. I was now, for the 

 firft time, on one of the ftrong black horfies that came laft 

 from Sennaar, given me by the king, and he was fo impa- 

 tient and fretful at beii;g preffed on by the crowd of men 

 and beafts, that there was no keeping him within any fort 

 of bounds. The defcent c^' the hill had become very llip- 

 4 pery. 



