THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 143 
Tur Edjow Galla alone advanced to the very brink of the 
river, and when the mufquetry began to be fired at them, 
which would probably quickly have put them into confu- 
fion, the king, lofing all patience, ordered the black horfe, 
and all the heavy-armed troops, to charge them, which 
was inftantly executed with the greateft fpeed; the Gal- 
lajyere all borne down, with little or no refiftance, by 
the length of our pikes, and the fuperior weight of our 
horfes, and thofe that were not flain were fcattered over the 
_ plain. But a greater misfortune befel us from our friends 
‘han from our enemies, as a volley of {hot was poured up- 
on us from Serbraxos hill, on the right hand, which killed 
feven men, notwithflanding their coats of mail. The king 
himfelé was in great danger, being in the middle of the en- 
gagement, and unarmed; young prince George, who 
fought by his fide, was fhot in the thumb of his left 
hand. Kefla Yafous, who faw the danger the king was in, 
riding about, holding out his hand and crying not to fire, 
was fhot through the hair, the ball juft grazing his head 
above the ear, and another wounding his horfe juft above 
his thigh, but fo flightly, that it. was afterwards extracted 
by a fervant’ S finger Se 
AYABDAR, after the lofs of his Edjow Galla, retreated to 
the camp, amidft the curfes and imprecations of the army, 
who, not informed of the king’s flrength, thought the war 
might have been ended by a proper exertion and perfeve- 
rance in his part that day. Gufho his nephew, who had 
ftaid to guard the camp, but who had reinforced Powuffen 
and Ayabdar each of them with a part of his troops, fpoke 
- of his uncle in the bittereft terms of reproach, continually 
calling him dotard and coward, ‘and declaring him incapa- 
ble 
