THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. ~— 193 
Tue firft circumftance that gave alarm was the appear- 
ance of the horfe, but they were not taken for an enemy, 
but for Ayto Tesfos returning. Kefla Yafous now gave 
the fignal to charge, by beating 'a kettle-drum, and every 
foldier fell upon the enemy neareft him. It is impoflible 
to defcribe the confufion that followed, nor was it eafy to 
diftinguifh enemies from friends, efpecially for us on horfe- 
back; only thofe that fled were reckoned enemies. The 
greateft execution done by the horfe was breaking the jars 
of honey, butter, beer, wine, and flour, and gathering as 
many mules together as pofflible to drive them away. Few 
of the enemy came our way towards the plain, but moft 
fled up'the hill: in an inftant the ftraw huts upon the 
rock were fet on fire, and Kefla Yafous had ordered rather 
to deftroy the provifions than the men, fince there was no 
refiftance. I paffled a large tent, which I judged to be that 
of Ayto Tesfos, which our people immediately cut open; 
but, inftead of an officer of confequence, we faw, by the 
light of a lamp, three or four naked men and women, to- 
tally overpowered with drink and fleep, lying helplefs, like 
fo many hogs, upon the ground, utterly unconfcious of 
what was pafling about them. Upon a large tin platter, 
_ on a bench, lay one of the large horns, perfectly drain- 
ed of the fpirits that it had contained; it was one of 
the moft beautiful, for fhape and colour, I ever had feen, 
though not one of the largeft. This horn was all my 
booty that night. Upon my return to Britain, it was afk- 
ed of me by Sir Thomas Dundas of Carfe, to" ferve for a 
bugle-horn to the Fauconberg regiment, to which, as being 
partum fanguine, it was very properly adapted. That regiment 
being difbanded foon after, I know not further what came 
Vo. IV. Bb of 
