THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 45 r 



prife the Shangalla of Tzaada Amba, before they recovered 

 from their late misfortune. This Muftapha Iiad fiain two 

 or three Shangalla with £ re-arms ; and at firft they flood 

 aloof as fearing the king. But finding foon that it was no 

 part of his army, and only a fmall body of adventurers, the 

 Shangalla 'now collected in numbers, furrounded Muftapi-a 

 and his party, whom they cut off to a man ; and, purfuing 

 their advantage, they entered and took Dedgin, wounded 

 Kafmati Fafa Chrillos, and put the inhabitants of the town 

 to the fword. 



News of this misfortune were carried fpeedily to Kafmati 1 

 Claudius, governor of Tigre : CafTem, a Mahometan, led the 

 Gibbertis, the people of that religion in the province ; and, 

 as he was an advanced party, came fpeedily to blows with 

 the Shangalla, and was clofely engaged, with great appear- 

 ance of fuccefs, when Claudius came up with an army that 

 would foon have put an end to the conteft. But no fooner 

 was his army engaged with the Shangalla, than a panic 

 feized him, and he founded a retreat ; which, in an inftant, 

 became a moft fhameful flight. CafTem and his gibbertis 

 fell, fighting to the laft man in the middle of their enemies. 

 The Shangalla followed their advantage, and great part of 

 the Abyfiinian army perifhed in the flight; Claudius, tho' 

 he efcaped, left his ftandard, kettle-drums, and his whole 

 province in pofTemon of the enemy.. 



The king, upon hearing this, returned hailily into Sire; 

 and his prefence eftablifhed order and tranquillity in that 

 province, already half abandoned for fear of the Shangalla* 

 Fxom Sire. the king proceeded to Axum, where he celebrated 



2.: his- 



