i _ THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 139 
A tone valley, having the mountains of Begemder on the 
fouth, or fartheft end, was what the Ras had now entered, 
and he flattered himfelf, by a forced march, to arrive at thofe 
mountains. When once in Begemder, he knew that he not on- 
ly fhould occafion a revolt among the troops of Powuffen, 
(many of whom had followed him by force rather than in- 
clination) but likewife he was affured that he fhould be met 
by many powerful noblemen and friends to the king, both 
of Lafta and Begemder, whom Powuflen dared not force to 
follow him, and who had ftaid at home; by this means, 
he conceived his army would be fo much increafed that he 
foon fhould bring the rebels to reafon. 
Tue river Mariam runs along the weft fide of this valley, 
fhallow, but brifk and clear, and the water excellent, while 
a {mall brook, called es-Ohha, (that is, the water of ho- 
nour, or of worth) falling from the mountains on the eaft, 
runs clofe by the bottom of the hill of Serbraxos, where it 
‘joins the Mariam. The center of the army was juft en- 
tering from the plain into the valley, and the king’s horfe 
pafling Deg-Ohha, when we heard a firing in the front, 
which we gueffed to be from the Fit-Auraris; foon after fol- 
lowed a repeated firing from the van, engaged about a fhort 
two miles diftance, though along even hill in the midtft 
of the valley, and its windings, hindered us from feeing 
them. | 
Guerzsra Curistos immediately made his difpofition ; he 
placed his horfe, and foot in the intervals of the horfe, in the 
middle of the valley ; his mufquetry on the right and left, 
the former upon the fkirts of the hill already mentioned, to 
run along the valley; the latter up the fkirts of the hill of 
S 2 Serbraxos. 
