A l o n g valley, having the mountains o f Begemder on the
fouth, or fartheft end, was. what the Ras had now entered,
and he flattered himfelf, by a forced march, to arrive atthofe
mountains. When once in Begemder, he knew that he not only
fliould occafion a revolt among -the troops o f Powuflen,
(many o f whom had followed him by force rather than inclination)
but likewife he was allured that he ihould be met
b y many powerful noblemen and friends to the king, both
o f Lafta and Begemder, whom Powuflen dared not force to
follow him, and who’ had ftaid at-home; by this means,
he conceived his army would be fo much increafed that he
foon Ihould bring the'rebels to reafon.
T h e river Mariam runs along the weft fide o f this valley,
fhallow, but brilk and clear, and the water excellent, while
a fmall brook, called Deg-Ohha, (that is, the water o f honour,
or o f worth) fallin g from the mountains on the eaft,
runs clofe by the bottom o f the hill o f Serbraxos, where it
joins the Mariam. The center o f the army was juft entering
from the plain into the valley, and the k in g ’s horfe
palling Deg-Ohha, when we heard a firing in the front,
which we guefled to be from the Fit-Auraris; foon after followed
a repeated firing from the van, engaged about a fhort
two miles difiance,.though a long even hill in the midft
o f the valley, and its windings, hindered us from feeing
them.
G u e b r a C h r i s t o s immediately made his difpofition; he
placed his horfe, and foot in the intervals o f the horfe, in the
middle o f the valley ; his mufquetry on the right and left,
the former upon the ikirts o f the hill already mentioned, to
run along the valley ; the latter up the ikirts o f the h ill o f ’
S 2 Serbraxos