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220° TRAVELS TO: DISCOVER: ‘5 
the troops to refreth themfelves, for he.was that day-refolz_ 
ved to try the fortune of another battle... To this, however; . 
‘it was replied by all the principal officers, That the army - 
was flarving, therefore a refrefhment at this time was out. 
of the queftion, and that fighting was as much fo; for Gus 
fho, having fent to the Abuna.and to the King, had folemn- _ 
ly excommunicated his whgle army. if.any.harm:-was of- . 
fered to them in perfon or baggage, if they marched-diregt- 
ly back to Gondar that night, as.they-had of theirown accord | 
before intended ; and that the army was refolved, therefore, | 
as one man, to return; and, if. the Ras did not» agreé~ 
to it, there was great fear they would difband in the night, , 
and ‘leave him-in; the hands of the enemy, without terms. — 
The kas was now obliged to.makea virtue of neceflity; and . 
it was given in orders, that the army fhould be ready to de- _ 
camp at eight in the evening, but nobody fhould ftrike -— 
their tent before that hour on pain of death. The old.ge-- 
neral was afhamed.to-be feen for the firft time lying. bee. 
fore his .enemiess.. 
Ir was plain to be read in everybody’s countenance; 
that this refolution was agreeable to them all. I confefs,, 
however, that I thought the meafure a very dangerous one, , ' 
confidering how:much blood the king’s army had fo lately 
f{pilt, and the ordinary prejudices univerfally. adopted in. 
that country,.allowing to every individual the right of re. - 
taliation. Before I ftruck my tent,.I called .Yafine to me, , 
-and ‘told him that Ayto Confu, being wounded and a pri-. 
foner, myfelf neceflarily obliged to attend the king, and : 
the event of that night’s. retreat unknown to any body, 1 _ 
thought he could do neither himfelf nor me any further - 
fervice by ftaying.where he was ; that therefore, fo long as . 
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