452 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 
' wards niud-night, when, whether from this caufe, or; as: 
they alledged, that they found a more favourable ford, all’ 
the Tigré infantry, and many mules ightly loaded, paffed 
with tts difficulty than any of the reft had done, and with. 
them feveral loads of flour; luckily alfo my two tents and 
mules, to my great confolation, came fafely over when it 
was near morning. Still the army continued to pafs, and 
thofe that could {wim feemed beft off’ I-was-in the great- 
eft diftrefs for the good Ammonios, my lieutenant, who was 
mifling, and did not join us till late in the morning, having 
been all night bufy in feeking Ayto Aylo, the queen’s cham- 
berlain, and Tecla Mariam, who were his great companions, _ 
drowned probably at the firft attempt to pafs, as pet were : 
never after heard of,. 
THE greateft part of the foot, However, croffed in»the- 
night; and many were of opinion that we had miftaken 
the paflage altogether, by going too high, and being in tco 
great a hafte; the banks, indeed, were. fo fteep, it was very 
plain that this could never have been an accuftomed ford 
for cavalry. Before day-light the van and the center had 
all joined the king; the number, I believe, that had perifhed 
was never diftinctly known, for thofé that were mifling were 
thought to have remained on the other fide with Kefla Ya+ 
fous, at leaft for that day. Kefla Yafous, indeed, with the 
rear and all the baggage of the army, had remained on the: 
other fide, and, with very few tents pitched, waited the dawn: 
of the morning... 
Ir happened that the. priefts. of the church of Mariam. 
Net, in the confufion, had been left unheeded, chained arm 
to arm, in the rear with Kefla Yafous, and they had began 
interceding= 
