156 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
“ber of troops glide below unfeen, along the river in the 
valley, take poffeffion of the round hill, at the north ford of 
Mariam, and cut off our retreat to our camp at Serbraxos ;_ 
the Ras immediately difpatched fome fingle horfemen to 
take a view of the enemy more nearly, and report what 
their numbers were, and where Gufho and Ayabdar were 
pofted, for we could diftinguifh the colour of the horfes, 
and all the movements of the Begemder troops, not being 
much above three miles diftance, yet we did not know whe- 
ther they were alone, or whether one or more of the other ge- 
nerals were with them: we faw indeed Powuflen’s ftandards, 
_but they were fo weather-beaten and faded, that we could not 
diftinguifh their real colours, which were blue and yellow. — 
Tue king’s whole army was defcending into the valley, _ 
and paffing over the ford of the Mariam, to the plain above’ 
where Kefla Yafous was riding to and fro with great ear- 
neftnefs, encouraging his troops. In a-very fhort time the 
left was formed ; the Ras, having given all his orders, and 
taken to himfelf the charge of the camp and the referve, fat 
down, as was ufual,to play at drafts with the black fervants.: 
The army was now all in the plain, when the fcouts arriv- 
ed, and brought word that Gufho and Ayabdar had both 
taken their ground, not directly in a ftraight line from Po- 
wuflen, fquare with the lake, but as it were diagonally de- 
clining more to the fouthward, fo that the moft advanced, or 
neareft to us, were the troops of Begemder; and this was. 
probably done, in order that, our backs being more turned’ 
to the lake, we might be eafier cut off from our camp, and 
furrounded in the plain, between their army and the Tzana; 
if Powuffen was fo fortunate as to beat the king and the 
left; but this difpofition of thefe troops was out-of our 
fight, 
