THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 693 



as from a citadel, and foon obliged the left wing of the 

 rebels to retreat. But the king, Kefla Yafous, and Lubo 

 on the right, were roughly handled by the horfe of Lafta, 

 and would have been totally defeated, the king and Lubo 

 having already left the field, had not Kefla Yafous brought 

 up a reinforcement of the men of Sire and Temben, and re- 

 trieved the day, at leafl brought things upon an equal 

 footing. 



Fasil, with the horfe of Foggora and Damot, and a? 

 prodigious body of the Djawi and Pagan Galla, defirous to 

 fhew his confequence, and confirm himfelf in his ill-got 

 government by his perfonal behaviour, attacked the Be- 

 gemder horfe in the center fo irrefiftibly, that he not only 

 broke through them in feveral places, but threw the whole 

 body into a lhameful flight. Mariam Barea himfelf was- 

 wounded in endeavouring to flop them, and hurried away, 

 in fpite of his inclination, crying out in great agony, " Is 

 there not one in my army that will flay and fee me die 

 like the fon of Kafmati Ayo ?.f It was all in vain; PowufTen, 

 and a number of his own officers, furrounding him, dragged 

 him as it were by force out of the field. The country be- 

 hind Nefas Mufa is wild, and. cut with deep gullies, and the 

 woods almofl impenetrable ; they were therefore quickly 

 out of the enemy's purfuit^and fafe, as they thought, under 

 the protection of the Woollo Galla. The whole army of 

 Begemder was difperfed, and Michael early forbade further, 

 purfuit. 



The account of this battle, and what preceded it, fromther 

 murder of the prince of Zague, is not in the annals or hif- 

 tory of Abyflima, which I have hitherto followed; at leafl it 



has 



