THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 219 
I took under my care, who both recovered, and from them 
Llearned many particulars of their country and manners. 
THE next day, which was the roth, the army marched in- 
to the town in triumph, and the Ras at the head of the 
troops of Tigre. He was bareheaded; over his fhoulders, 
and down to his back, hung a pallium, or cloak, of black 
velvet, with a filver fringe. A boy, by his right flirrup, held 
a filver wand of about five feet and a half long, much like 
the ftaves of our great officers at court. Behind him all the 
foldiers, who had flain an enemy and taken the fpoils from 
them, had their lances and firelocks ornamented with {mall 
fhreds of fcarlet cloth, one piece for every man he had 
flain. " 
REMARKABLE among all this multitude was Hagos, door- 
keeper of the Ras, whom we have mentioned in the war of 
Begemder. This man, always well-armed and well-mount- 
ed, had followed the wars of the Ras from his infancy, and 
had been fo fortunate in this kind of fingle combat, that his 
whole lance and javelin, horfe and perfon, were covered over 
with the fhreds of fcarlet cloth. At this laft battle of Fagitta, 
Hagos is faid to have flain eleven men with his own hand. 
Indeed there is nothing more fallacious than judging of a 
man’s courage by thefe marks of conquefts. A good horfe- 
man, armed with a coat of mail, upon a ftrong, well-fed, 
well-winded horfe, may, after a defeat, kill as many of thefe 
wretched, weary, naked fugitives, as he pleafes, confining 
himfelf to thofe that are weakly, mounted upon tired horfes, 
and covered only with goat’s-{kins, or that are flying on 
foot. , 
Ee2 BEHIND 
