t i l l on purpofe, or let it fall by chance: whichever was the
cafe, it. came bounding, and juft paft behind my horfe. Wheth
e r it touched him or not I cannot tell^ but i t ‘determined
him, without further deliberation,-to fpurn all controul o f
his rider. On the firft leap thathe made it was with the ut-
moft difficulty I avoided going over his head : I w ill not
pretend to fay what followed. I was deprived o f all fenfe
or refleftion,-till ftumbhng often, and Hiding down upon
his haunches oftener, I found myfelf at the bottom o f the
hill, perfeftly ftupified with fear, but fafe and found in body,
¿though my faddle was ly in g upon the horfe s neck.
S o o n after, I faw a fire!ighted on the top o f the h ill above
where Ras Michael’s tent flood, and I did not doubt but
that it was the work o f fome traitor, as a fignal to the rebels
that we were now in the plain in the greateft confru-
fion. I made all hafte therefore to go round and join the
king, paifed Deg-Ohha incumbered with carcafes o f men
and beafts, from which, as well as from the bottom o f the -
hill, a terrible flench arofe, which mufl foon have forced us
out o f the camp i f we had not refolved, o f our own accord,
to remove. A little further in the opening to the river Mariam,
I found m yfelf in the middle o f about twenty perfons,
.three or four o f whom were upon mules, in long clean
white clothes, as i f in peace, the reft apparently foldiers;
this was Engedan’s brother, Aylo, whom 1 was paffing without
recolk-cling him, when he cried, Where do you come
from, Yagoube ? this is not a night for white men like you
to be’ alone; come with me, and I will carry you to your
friend Engedan. My horfe, replied I, found a new way for
itfelf down the hill, and I eonfefs I would rather be alone
fj-ian with fo much company: our colour by this light feenjs
m - io
'to he "pretty much the fame. Remember me to Engedan. I
am feeking to join the king.
I m m e d i a t e l y after, I got into the c row d : though they
were now in the plain, they ftill kept in a line clofe to the
foot o f the mountain, as in fear o f the enemy’s horfe. I
palTed on1 at as brifk a w alk as my horfe could g o ; nor was
I fo tender o f thofe who were before me in the plain as I
liad been on the fide of the hill. Among thofe that were
ftill in the crowd, that had not got yet down the hill, I
heard the Aburta’s fervant fayinghhey had loft their mules,
and denouncing excommunication and curfes againft thofe
who had ftolen Kis baggage. I could n ot refrain from a fit
o f laughter at the ftupidity o f that prieft, to think any man
o f fuch a nation would pay attention to his anathemas in
fuch a fcene. Soon after, however, I overtook the Abuna
himfelf, with Qzoro Altalh. He aiked me in Arabic, and
In a very mournful tone o f voice, what I thought they were
g o in g to do 1 1 anfwered, in the fame language, “ Pray' for
them, father, for they know not what to do.” Ozoro Altafh
•now told me the k in g was a great way before them, with
Ras Michael, and advifed me to flay and accompany her.
•As fhe fpoke this confidently, and it was part o f the advice
d u fh o had given me i f I miffed the king, I was deliberating
what courfe I fhould purfue, when a great noife o f horfe
and men-was heard on the fide o f the plain,, and prefently
the Abuna and Ozoro Altalh were furrounded by a large
body o f horfemen, whofe"cries and language I did not un-
•derftand, and whom therefore I took for Galla. As I found
m y horfe ftrong and willing, and being alone, and unincumbered
with baggage, I thought it was better to keep_free,
and not ,truft to who thefe ftrangers might be. I therefore
V o l . IV- I f ' got