124° “DRAMELS (oO Ine cavi mr 
dy to mount on horfeback, befeeched the Ras to allow them 
to go down into the plain to the affiftance of Confu; but 
the old general, without leaving off his game, faid, “Ido 
itrictly forbid one of you to ftir ; Confu has broke my orders 
to-day, and brou ght himfelf into a fcrape by his-own folly; 
let me fee him get out of it by his courage and conduét, and . 
thereby fet the army a better example than he yet has 
done.”——“ Sir, faid I, at leaft ftation fome mufquetry on the f 
{mall hill, at the edge of the plain, that, if Confu is beaten, - 
* 
I may not have the mortification of feeing Yafine, and 
the new troops of Ras el Feel, (who were in their proper poft) 
and have all my baggage and provifions, maflacred before 
my eyes by thefe cowardly barbarians.” I {poke this in 
the utmoft anguith, when the Ras lifted up his head with 
a ghaftly kind of laugh, and faid, “ Right, well do fo, Ya~ — 
goube.” Though this was but an imperfect permiflion, L 
ran down to the ftation with fuch hafte that 1 fell twice in, 
my way, and was confiderably hurt, for the ground was; 
rocky, and the grafs flippery.. 
A.ttTHoucGH I had only waved my cloak, and cried come: 
on firs,a large number of matchlocks of Ozoro Efther’s, 
and the king’s, haftened immediately to the ground. Con- 
fu by this time had charged, and after a ftout refiftance 
beat Woodage back into the plain; Woodage, however, again. 
faced about, andafter fome refiftance, Confu in his turn 
was driven back in evident diforder, and pufhed almoft in 
upon the poft, where our foldiers had made ready their 
mufquets, to fire if they came a ftep nearer. At this inftant 
a body of about 30 or 40 horfe (the commander we after- 
wards knew to be Ayto Engedan) came up full gallop from 
the right, and ftopt the Galla in their purfuit. Confu’s men; 
rallied: 
