THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 199 
had lined all thefe little fortifications with mufquetry, from 
the bottom. of the hill to the door of his. tent and the 
king’s. 
Azsour noon the hill was affaulted on all fides that were 
acceflible, and the ancient fpirit of the troops feemed to 
revive upon feeing the enemy were the aggreffors. With- 
out any aid of mufquetry, the king’s foot repulfed Coque 
Abow Barea, and drove him from the hill into the plain, 
without any confiderable ftand on his part: the fame fuc- 
- cefs followed againft Mammo and Heraclius; they were 
chafed down the hill, and feveral of their men purfued and: 
flain on the plain; but a large reinforcement coming from 
the camp, the king’s troops were driven up the hill again, 
and Tesfos, with his mufquetry, had made a lodgment in 
a pit on the low fide of one of thefe ftone-walls Ras Michael: 
had built for his own defence, from which he fired with 
great effect, and the king’s troops were obliged to fall back 
to the brow of the hill immediately below the tent, and 
that of the Ras’s:. In a moment appeared Woodage Afahel, 
with a- large body of horfe, fupported likewife with a con- 
fiderable number of foot. This was the moft accefitble 
part of the hill, and under the cover of Tesfos’s continued 
fire: they mounted it with great gallantry, the troops above 
expecting them with their irons fixed at a proper elevation 
in the ground; for-it muft be here explained, that no A- 
byflinian foldier in battle refts his gun upon his: hand, as 
every one is provided with a ftick. about four feet long, 
which: hath hooks, or refts, on alternate intervals on each 
fide, and which he flicks in the ground before him, and 
refts the muzzle of his gun upon it, according to the height 
of the object he is to aim at ; and here is difcovered the fa-- 
tal. 
