*j 2 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



That he might not, therefore, have two enemies at {nch. 

 a diftance from each other upon his hands at once, this 

 year, as foon as the rains were over, he determined to march, 

 and attack the bafha. The bama was very foon informed of 

 his defigns, and as foon prepared to meet them ; fo that 

 the king found him already in the field, encamped on his 

 own fide of the Mareb, but without having committed, 

 till then, any act of hoftility. He marched out of his 

 camp, and formed, upon feeing the royal army approach ; 

 leaving a funicient field for the king to draw up in, if he 

 mould incline to crofs the river, and attack him. 



This confident, rather than prudent conduct of the bafha, 

 did not intimidate the king, who being ufed to improve 

 every advantage coolly, and without bravado, embraced this 

 very opportunity his enemy chofe to give him. He formed, 

 therefore, on his own fide of the Mareb, and paifed it in as 

 good order as poffible, considering it is a fwift ftream, an4 

 very deep at that feafon of the year. He halted feveral times 

 while his men were in the water, to put them again in or- 

 der, as if he had expected to be attacked the moment he 

 landed on the other fide. The bama, a man of knowledge 

 in his profeffion, who faw this cautious conduct of the king, 

 is fa id to have cried out, " How unlike he is to what 1 have 

 * heard of his father !" alluding to the general rafh beha- 

 viour of t-he late king Menas whilii at the head of his 

 army, 



• Sertza Denghel having left all his baggage on the other 



fide, and palled the river, drew up his army in the fame 



deliberate manner in which he had crofted the Mareb, and 



{ornotzd oppofite to the balha ; as if he had been acting un- 



% der 



