200 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
tal and moft unreafonable effect of fear in thefe troops, who _ | 1 
have not the knowledge or practice of fire-arms, and are a- 
bout to charge, for as foon as they hear this noife of planting 
the fticks, (which is fomewhat louder than that of our men 
cocking their mufquets) they halt immediately, and give the 
faireft opportunity to their enemies to take aim’; and, after 
thus fuffering from a well-directed fire, they fall into confu- 
fion, and run, leaving the mufquetry time to re-charge. This. 
is as if they voluntarily devoted themfelves to deftruction; 
for if, either upon hearing the noife of fetting the fticks 
in the ground, or before or after they have received the 
fire, the horfe were to charge thefe mufqueteers, having no 
bayonets, at the gallop, they muft be cut to pieces every 
time they were attacked by cavalry ; i contrary of which 
is always the cafe. 
Woopacr Asauet had now advanced within about thir- 
ty yards of the mufquetry that were expecting him, when 
unluckily the hill became more fteep, and Ayto Tesfos (for 
fome reafon not then known) ceafed firing. The king was 
now clofe to the very brow of the hill, nor could any one 
perfuade him to keep at a greater diftance. I was not far 
from him, and had no fort of doubt but that I fhould pre- 
fently fee the whole body of the enemy deftroyed by the 
fire awaiting them, and blown into theair. Woodage Afa-— 
hel was very confpicuous by a red fillet, or bandage, wrapt _ 
about his head, the two ends hanging over his ears, whilft - 
he was waving with his hands for the troops below to fol- 
low brifkly, and fupport thofe near him, who were impe- 
ded by the roughnefs and moffy quality of the ground. At 
this inftant the king’s troops fired, and I expected to fee the 
enemy ftrewed dead along the face of the hill. Indeed we 
3 — faw 
