THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 55% 
farily muft be. Fafil then, with above 3000 horfe, and a 
_ Targe body of foot, was ready ta inclofe both Ras Michael 
and the King, and to have taken them prifoners; nothing 
could fall out more exactly, as it was planned, than this did; 
the king’s-black horfe, and the other horfe of his houfehold, 
had taken poffleffion of the ford, till the King, the Ras, and 
the greateft part of the Tigré. mufqueteers, under Guebra 
Mafcal, had paffed.. 
Ow the other hand; Kefla Yafous; who had the charge of © 
the rear, and the paffing the mules, tents, andbaggage, find- 
ing fo many ftragglers conftantly coming in, had determin- 
ed to wait on that fide till day-light: this was the moment 
that would have decided the fate-of our army; all was: fa- 
tigue and defpondency.,;. but. Welleta-Yafous having lin-- 
gered with the army of execution; and in the mean time 
the priefts having been examined, and the {pies detected, 
the moment Kefla Yafous began his march to Delakus, the- 
_ favourable inftant was loft to Fafil, and all that followed: 
was extremely. dangerous to him ;.for,. before Welleta : Ya- 
- fous arrived, Kefla Yafous had paffed.the Nile, and was. 
ftrongly pofted with his mufquetry, fo that Welleta Yafous : 
durft net approach him, and this gave Keffa Yafous am op-. 
portunity of detaching the beft or frefheft of his troops to: 
reinforce Michael, whom Fafil found already an overmatch: 
for him.at: Limjour,; when he was forced :to retreat before: 
the king; who very willingly offered-him-battle : add to this; , 
that Welleta Yafous was not-acquainted how near this junc-. 
tion of Kefla Yafous with Ras:Michael might be,:.nor-where » 
Fafil was, or whether or not he had been ‘beaten. Woldo- 
pretended to know nothing of the fpy whom we had left. 
hanging on the tree at .the ford.when Kefla Yafous march- - 
ed 3: 
