THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 17 
affitting Kefla Yafous there, and, bein g joined by all my 
people, we fell upon the ftragglers wherever we found them. 
You know what a day of rain it was; we took 17 guns, 12 
horfes, and about 200 mules and affes laden, and fo return- 
-ed home, leaving the reft to Fafil, who, if he had been a man, 
fhould have cut you all to pieces the day after.”—-“ And 
what did you, faid I, with thefe ftragglers whom you met 
and robbed; did you kill them ?’—* We always kill them, 
anfwered Amlac; we fpare none; we never do a man an 
injury, and leave him alive to revenge it upon us after; but 
it was really the fame; they were all fick and weak, and the 
hyzna would have finithed them in the morning, fo it was 
juft faving them fo much fuffering to kill them outright 
the night before; and I affure you, Yagoube, whatever you 
may think, I did not do it out of malice.”—From this con- 
verfation one may fufficiently guefs what fort of aman Wel- 
led Amlac was, and what were his ideas of mercy. 
We paffed the church of Kedus Michael at half after 
nine, on the road to our right. At nine and three quarters 
our courfe was N. by W. and, at a quarter after ten, we pai- 
fed the Coga, a large river. _At three quarters paft ten our 
courfe was north. We pafled the church of Abbo a quar- 
ter of a mile on ourright. The country, after we had crofl- 
ed the Jemma,was much lefs beautiful than before. Attwelve 
our courfe was N. by W. and at half paft twelve the church 
of Mariam Net, 200 yards tothe left; and here we forded the 
fmall river Amlac-Ohha. Every fle of this ground put us 
in mind of our difaftrous campaign in May; and we were 
now pafling directly in the tract of the ever-memorable re- 
treat of Kefla Yafous and the rear of the army. Ata quar- 
ter after one we halted at a fmall village of low houfes, as it 
“Vor. IV. G were 
