NEW EMPIRE OF ABYSSINIA. 57 



Bpoken, when he fell stone dead : the hollenya, an excellent marlis- 

 man, had pierced his forehead with a ball. Issuing from his ambush, 

 he ran to the corpse, stripped it of the bloody doublet, and holding 

 it up before the astounded horsemen, called out : •' Tour master is 

 dead ; and what do you mean to do now ?" Grocho's men, so far, 

 had had the advantage ; but the death of their chief demoralized 

 them, as is always the case in the east : the greater number laid 

 down their arms, while others resisting, by their destruction, but 

 added to the glory of the conqueror. 



Alarmed at such a success, ras Ali sent against Kassa the best of 

 his generals, Aligaz Faras, reinforced by auxiliaries that Oubie, 

 already fearing for himself, decided to send him under the command 

 0^ two Jlt-aurari or generals of the advance guard. Fate was as un- 

 propitious to them as to Gocbo : they were completely beaten, and. 

 Faras was killed. Eis Ali then invaded Dembea in person. The 

 opposing armies met at Aichal. That of ras Ali was the finest ; but 

 he lacked confidence. The chief, brave enough himself, had alienated 

 the affection of his troops by surrounding himself with scholars and 

 astrologers. When the charge sounded, the soldiers said ironically : 

 "Let the dehteras (scholars) go to the front!" They did their duty, 

 however, as well as ras Ali. But Kassa having said to his marks- 

 men : " Aim at the silken doublets !" that is to say, upon the gilded 

 group of ofiicers who surrounded the ras, the staff was dispersed at 

 the first volley, and the defeat was a complete one. Kassa pursued 

 the defeated enemy beyond the Blue Nile, and gained over ras Ali a 

 second victory, this time decisive. "It is God who strikes me," 

 said the ras, with resignation, "and not Kassa." He took refuge 

 in the ghedem or asylum of Madhera-Mariam, and thence gained the 

 mountainous province of Lasta, which was his native country, re- 

 nouncing, at least provisionally, both the contest and his authority. 



In spite of these victories, the country beyond the Nile was not 

 Bubdued. It still remained in arms under Beurrow Gocho, the son 

 of Gocho, a young warrior, brave, haughty, violent, and fanatical. 

 In ras Ali's last contest, Beurrou had offered to come and fight by 

 his side against his father's murderer ; but at a council of war held 

 by the ras, some leaders, irritated by the pride of Beurrou, cried out : 

 "Does this man think himself indispensable ? Are there not others 

 as brave as he ?" lias Ali had the weakness to listen to them ; and 

 declined an offer which might have saved him. In fact, a great part 



