MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 
Go 
house of his Moorish friend Negade Has Mahomet, 
and on the 22d of May ( 1770 ) he resumed his 
journey to join the king. After passing the Nile, 
they advanced through a flat country, -where the 
grass was trodden down, the fields left without 
cattle, and every thing bore marks that the terrible 
Ras had gone before. An awful silence reigned 
around ; the houses were deserted, and every living 
being had fled before the march of the destroyers. 
'•For the first time Bruce felt his spirit sink at the 
idea of having penetrated into so remote a country, 
abounding with so many dangers, from which he 
appeared to have little chance of extricating him- 
self. This rashness and imprudence, added to the 
thoughts of his friends in Scotland, greatly depressed 
his mind ; hut these uneasy reflections were speedily- 
dissipated by the sound of a general firing, which 
indicated that the army was not far distant. 
The noise was not caused by any engagement, 
but by the soldiers amusing themselves in shooting 
hoars, buffaloes, deer, and other wild animals that 
were driven from their lairs at the approach of the 
troops. A slight encounter with the enemy had 
taken place at Derdera ; those who could not escape 
were slain, and all sorts of wanton barbarities were 
committed. The expedition having thus ended, the 
king and Ras Michael determined to return to 
Gondar. On the 2(5th of May they re-crossed the 
Nile amidst much confusion, the stream being 
swollen with rain. Rafts were employed for trans- 
porting the women and children ; the rest swam 
E 
