186. TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



£er, for him to* withdraw until he had confeffed him, and 

 given the army abfolution before the action with the In- 

 fidels. 



The battle was fought on the 30th of Augufl with great 

 fury and obftinacy on both fides. The Portuguefe had ftrew- 

 ed, early in the morning, all the front of their line with.; 

 gun-powder, to which, on the approach of the Turks, they 

 let fire by trains, which burnt and difabled a great many of 

 them; and things bore a profperous appearance, till theMoor- 

 ifh general ordered fome artillery to be pointed againft the 

 Abyflinians, who, upon hearing the firft explofion, and fee- 

 ing the effect of fome balls that had lighted among them, 

 fled, and left the Portuguefe to the number only of 400,, 

 who were immediately furrounded by the Moorifh army.. 

 Nor did Gragne purfue the fugitives, his affair being with: 

 the Portuguefe, the fmallnefs of whole number promifed 

 they would fall an eafy and certain facrifice. He there- 

 fore, attacked their camp upon every fide with very little, 

 fuccefs, having loft mofl of his bell officers* till, unfor- 

 tunately, Don Chriftopher, fighting and expofmg himfelf eve- 

 rywhere, was fingled out by a Tiirkifh foldier, and fhot 

 through the arm. Upon this all his men turned their 

 thoughts from their own prefervation to that of their ge- 

 neral, who obftinately refufed to fly, till he was by force 

 put upon a litter, and fent off, together with the patriarch, 

 and queen. 



Night now coming on, Don Chriftopher had got into a. 

 wood in which there was a cave. There he ordered himfelf 

 to be fet down to have his wounds dreffed ; which, being; 

 done, he was urged by the queen and patriarch to continue 



his 



