C H A T . V.
Rebel A rm y approaches Gondar— King marches out o f Gondar— Takes
Poß ai Serbraxos— The Author returns to Gondar with Confu wounded.
GENTLE fliowers o f rain began now to fall, and to announce
the approach o f w in te r ; nay, fome unufually
i'cvere End copious had already fallen.5 Guiho and Powuilen
o f Amhara and Begemder, Kafmati Ayabdar governor o f Fog-
gora, A ylo fon o f Ozoro W elleta Ifrael the queen’s daughter,
governor o f G ojam, Woodage Afahel, with the troops o f
Maitiha, and Coque Abou Barea from Kuara, were at the head
o f all the forces they could raife about Emfras and Nabca,
and the borders o f the lake Tzana. A brother-in-law o f
Powuffen had brought a cohfidérable body o f troops from
Zaat and Dehannah, two clans o f Lafta, enemies to Guigarr,
who had declared for Michael; and thefe were the beft horfe
in the rebel army, fuperior to any in Begemder.
3 Tars
T his numerous army o f Confederates were all ready, ex-
pedting the rain would make the Tacazzé impaiTable, and1
eut o ff Michael’s retreat to Tigré. Fafil alone kept them in;
fufpenfe, who, with about 12,000 men, remained at Ibaba,
profefling to be at peace with Michael, in the mean time
keeping all Maitiha quiet, and waiting for the coming o f
Welleta Yafous, and 20,000 Galla, whom he had fent for
from the other fide o f the Nile, intending, as he faid, to
march on the arrival o f this reinforcement, and join the-
k in g at Gondar. Although it may well be doubted i f ever
he intended a ll or any part o f this, one thing was very certain,
that he was fincere in his hatred to Guiho and Po-
wuffen ; he never could forget their treachery in breaking,
their appointment and promife at Court-Ohha, and expofing
him either to fight Michael fingly, or have his whole country
burnt and deftroyed. Although Michael had, for thefe-
lait months, done every thing in his power to bring back:
to the k in g fuch people o f confideration that poffeffed the
lands and eftates about Gondar, and were the molt refpeft-
able o f their nobility for influence and riches, bred up a-
bout court, and who did chiefly conftitute it-;. yet the cruel--
ty o f his executions, his infatiable greed o f money and*
power, and the extreme facility with which he broke his-
moft facred engagements, had terrified them from putting:
themfelves into his hand ; though they did-not raife mentor
join any. fide, but lived privately at a diftance, yet their
abfence from about the k in g had the very worft efi'cct upon
his affairs. A great defertion had likewife happened fince -
his coming among, his old troops o f Tigré, both o f officers
and foldiers. The execution o f Guebra Denghel, and other
two noblemen, had greatly alienated the minds o f m any o f
their countrymen and. their, con n e xion s ;. but, above a l l,.
hiss