z6o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



had diftinguiflied himfelf in Za Denghel's reign, by abfol- 

 ving the king's fubjects and foldiers from their oaths of al- 

 legiance, which was followed by the unfortunate death of 

 Za Denghel in the plain of Bartcho. Vain of the import- 

 ance he had acquired by the fuccefs of his'treafon, he had 

 purfued the fame conduct with regard to Socinios, and fol- 

 lowed Jacob to battle, where, milling to his character and 

 habit for the fafety of his perfon, he neglected the danger 

 that he ran amidft a flying army. While occupied in uttering; 

 vain curfes and excommunications againfl the conquerors,, 

 he was known, by the crucifix he held in his hand, by a 

 Moorifh foldier of Socinios, who thruft him through with 

 a lance, then cut his head off, and carried it to the king. 



The Abyffinian annals date, that, immediately after fee* 

 ing the head of Abuna Peter, Socinios ordered a retreat to? 

 be founded, and that no more of his enemies mould be 

 ilain. On the contrary, the Jefuits have faid, that the pur- 

 fuit was continued even after night ; for that a body of 

 horfe, among whom were many Portuguese belonging to 

 the army of Jacob, flying from Socinios's troops, fell over 

 a very high precipice, it being fo dark that they did not 

 difcover it ; and that one foldier, called Manuel Gonfalez, 

 finding his horfe leave him, as it were flying, lighted luck- 

 ily on a tree, where, in the utmoft trepidation, he fat all' 

 night, not knowing where he was. This fear was greatly 

 encreafed in the morning, when he beheld the horfes, and 

 the men who were his companions, lying dead and dalhed* 

 ro pieces in the plain below. 



Ras Athanasiws, who had followed the party of Jacobs 

 narrowly efcaped by the fwiftnefs of his horfe, and hid 

 Ukmfeif in the monaftery of Bima,. at no great diftance from? 



the 



