118 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
and conftantly fretted the cheek and nofe, when either the 
man or the horfe were in motion; and therefore I always 
fubftituted a black filk net, which concealed my colour bet- « 
ter, and for the reft of my face I committed it to the care of 
Providence. ' 
Turs body of horfe was able to make their way through 
all the cavalry in Abyflinia, if they had been drawn up a- 
gainft them with equal fronts ; for every horfeman fat im- 
moveable upon his faddle, and a@ed moft powerfully by 
his weight alone, and was perfectly mafter of his perfon 
alfo by the breadth and fhortnefs of his ftirrups ; whereas 
the Abyflinian horfemen were placed moft difadvantageouf- 
ly, their head and body naked, their faddle fmall, and of 
no fupport to them, their ftirrup-leathers long, and no ftir- 
rups to put their foot in; but being conftantly afraid of 
their horfe falling upon them, the only hold which they 
had was the outfide of an iron ring, which they grafped be- 
tween their great and fecond toe, fo that they had no 
ftrength from their ftirrups, whilft their foot was always 
4welled, and their toes fore and galled. 
Or the thoufand Shoa horfe about 60 had deferted; the reft 
were all in good order, each armed with their lances about 
ten feet long, and two light javelins, their fhafts being of 
cane, which they threw at a great diftance ; the lance they 
never loofed out of their hand; as for their ftirrups and 
faddle, they were of the fame bad conftruction as thofe of 
the Abyflinians in general, and this reduced them nearly 
to a footing with them. 
ie 
