THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 455 
fore with information to Ras Michael. The two guides 
pretended to be Agows, confequently friends to the king. 
He called thefe into his prefence, and ordered them to be 
put in irons, and then fent for the fervant of Nanna Geor- 
gis. This man immediately knew the one to be his coun- 
tryman, but declared the other was a Galla, both of them 
fervants of Fafil, and then living in Maitfha. 
Keria Yasous immediately ordered the Kanitz Kitzera 
{the executioner of the camp) to attend, and having exhort- 
ed them to declare the truth for fear of what would f{peedi- 
ly follow, and no fatisfactory anfwer being given, he dire¢t-. 
ed the eyes of the eldeft, the Galla, to be plucked out ; and 
he continuing ftill obftinate, he delivered him to. the fol- 
diers, who hewed him to pieces with their large knives in. 
_ prefence of his companion. In the mean time the priefts. 
had been very earneft with the young one, the Agow, to 
confefs, with better fuccefs ; but this execution, to which 
he had been witnefs, was more prevailing than all their ar- 
guments. Upon promife of life, liberty, and reward, he de- 
clared that he had left Fafil behind a hill, which he then 
fhewed, about three miles diftant, in front of the king’s. 
army, and had gone down to Welleta Yafous, who was wait- 
ing at Goutto ready to pafs the Nile: that they were fent 
forward to decoy the king to that paflage, under the name 
of a ford, where they expected great part of the army would. 
perith if they attempted to pafs: that Fafil was to. attack 
fuch part of the king’s army as fhould have paffed as foon. 
as it appeared upon the heights above the river, but not till,. 
by the firing on the eaft fide, he knew that Welleta Yafous 
was engaged with the rear, or part of the army, which fhould. 
fall remain on that fide feparated by the river: that they did 
nog 
