zbz RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



Abyssinia. Their combined forces invaded the empire, 

 and in less than a year they had reduced to captivity 

 or had slaughtered twenty thousand Christians. The 

 whole country was terrorised, but David III., though 

 only sixteen, placed himself at the head of an army, 

 while the Queen-Eegent and the ladies of the nobility 

 freely contributed their jewels and were lavish in 

 presents to the soldiers, in order to stimulate their 

 courage. The King soon reached the province of 

 Fategar and marched direct upon Aoussa, the capital 

 of the kingdom of Adel. There he drew up his army 

 in battle array, and after a single combat between a 

 young Abyssinian monk, Gabriel Andreas, and Maifudi, 

 one of the Adel leaders, in which the latter was killed, 

 a great battle was fought, in which the Abyssinians 

 were victorious, ten or twelve thousand Moors being 

 left on the battle-field. The next day King David 

 went to a city where the King of Adel had a palace, 

 and finding the gate shut he struck it with his lance. 

 No answer being given, he left his lance sticking in 

 the door, to show that he had come hither and had 

 been free to enter the gates. When the army returned 

 to Abyssinia the young monk who had been the hero 

 of the single combat was loaded with honours, his vic- 

 tory being commemorated in songs. This victory was 

 gained on July, 1516, and upon the same clay a Portu- 

 guese fleet, under the command of Don Lopez Suarez 

 Alberguiera, had seized the island of Zey]a and burnt 

 the custom-house. The ambassador Matteo, who had 



