THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 473 
are clofed.” It will be eafily gueffed this rendered the con- 
verfation'a chearful one. ‘Fafil’s fervants retired to fet out 
the next day, gratified to their utmoft wifh, and, as foon as 
the king was in bed, I went to my apartment likewife. 
Bur very different thoughts were then occupying Mi- 
chael and his officers. They could not truft Fafil, and, be- 
fides, he could do them no fervice; the rain was fet in, and 
he was gone home; the weftern part of the kingdom was 
ready to rife: upon them ;- Woggora, to the north, immedi- 
ately in his way, was all in arms, and impatient to re- 
venge the feverities they had fuffered when Michael firft 
marched to Gondar. The Tacazzé, which feparates Tigré 
. from Woggora, and runs at the foot of the high mountains 
of Samen, was one of the largeft and moft rapid rivers in 
Abyffinia, and, though not the firft to overflow, was, when 
{welled to its height, impaflable by horfe or foot, rolling 
down prodigious {tones and trees with its current. Danger- 
ous as the pafflage was, however, there was no fafety but in 
attempting it: Michael, therefore, and every foldier with 
him, were of opinion that, if they muft perifh, they fhould 
rather meet death in the river, on the confines of their own 
country, than fall alive into the hands of their enemies in 
Amhara. For this, preparation had been making night 
and day, fince Ras Michael entered Gondar, and probably 
before it. 
THERE was in Beleffen, on the neareft and eafieft way to 
a ford of the Tacazzeé, a man of quality called Adero, and 
his fon Zor Woldo. To thefe two.Ras Michael ufed to truft 
the care of the police of Gondar when he was abfent upon 
any expedition; they were very active and capable, but had 
Vor. Ill. 20 fallen 
