3 9 o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Inaches, veteran foldiers of Sela Chriftos, and a fmall, but 

 brave body of troops containing the fons of Portuguefe: 

 Thefe he directed to occupy the valleys and low ground. In 

 the center the king commanded in perfon. 



The rebel chief and his mountaineers remained in a 

 ftate of fecurity ; for they neither thought to be fo fpeedi- 

 ly attacked, nor that Socinios could have raifed fo large 

 an army. They abandoned, therefore, the lower ground, 

 and all took pofts upon the heights. The prince advanced 

 to the firft entrance, and ordered Damo, his Billetana 

 Gueta, to force it with four companies of good foldiers, 

 who afcended the mountain with great perfeverance ; and, 

 notwithftanding the obftinate defence of the rebels, made 

 themfelves mailer of that poft, having killed two of the 

 braveft officers Melca Chriftos had, the one named Bil- 

 lene, the other Tecla Mariam, firnamed defender of the faith \ 

 becaufe he was the firft that brought Galla to the affiftance 

 of Melca Chriftos. 



There were likewife flain, at the fame time, fourpriefts 

 and five monks, after a defperate refiftance , one of whom, 

 calling the king's troops Moors, forbade them to approach 

 for fear of defiling him, and then, with a book in his 

 hand, threw himfelf over the rock, and was daihed to pieces 

 in the plain below. Here the prince met with an enemy 

 he did not expect : The cold was fo exceflive, that above 

 fifty perfons were frozen to death. 



The top of the mountain, which was the fecond entry in- 

 to Lafta, was occupied by a ftill larger body of rebels, and, 

 therefore, neceftary to be immediately ftormed, elfe thofe 

 i below 



